Harry Potter and Slytherin's Secret
by Belcris
Summary: AU. Harry and Ginny struggle to survive Ginny's first year at Hogwart's. Forces fight to pull them apart, but they will not be defeated so easily. What darkness fills Slytherin's Secret? Sequel to Philosopher's Stone.
1. Prologue

_Hello my dear readers._

_I know it's taken me a bit longer to start this new story than I originally thought it would, but I am happy to say that I am now ready to begin sharing it with you. This will begin Harry and Ginny's second year at Hogwarts. In this tale we shall follow them as they deal with the events dealing with Tom's diary. Ginny shall begin her time at Hogwarts, and Harry will learn more about his destiny._

_This will be a darker vision of the second year at Hogwarts, and although it is still based upon canon. Then again, the original story is pretty dark if you think about a psychotic madman wanting to kill a small boy. The thing is, it's going to be a wild ride and one that I can't wait for you to take with me._

_One of the reasons that this has taken me so long to get this to you is the fact that one of my beta readers has been having some personal problems. For that reason, I am bringing you this first chapter after only one beta has seen it. I am currently looking for a second beta. At this point I do not know if I will need the new beta permanently or just for a few chapters. Whichever the case, I should tell any hopefuls that I am not looking for a co-writer for my story. I just need someone that knows their grammar, and their canon. Most importantly, you must be fast, because I don't like keeping my readers waiting if I don't have to. Previous beta work is a plus._

_Enough of that. Let's tuck in…_

_Chris_

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Prologue

Three men sat comfortably around a large round wooden table, drinking tea and talking amongst themselves. The room they were in, a mixture of creamy white marble and rich golden wood, was filled with sunlight that poured in through dozens of large windows. The table itself, large enough to fit twenty or more people, was surrounded by comfortable looking chairs, arranged in such a way that anyone who sat at it would feel equally important as they talked.

"Is there absolutely no other way that we can do this?" asked the oldest-looking man at the table.

He was a kind looking old man, with short silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He gave off a feeling of comfort and safety mixed with a sense of wisdom that might make anyone who saw him feel that he was something of the ideal grandfather. It was his eyes, golden brown behind silver reading glasses, which seemed to radiate a timeless quality that could either have been great age, or great loss. Whatever the case, Nicolas Flamel was not currently happy with the way things were going.

"You know that I wish it didn't have to be this way, Nicolas," soothed one of the other men at the table. "I've looked at all the possibilities, multiple times, and this is the only one that does not lead to utter chaos and destruction."

This man was a leader, in every sense of the word. From his sapphire blue eyes that seemed to see everything, to the way he held himself with such confidence and quiet power, everything about him demanded respect. Yet it was his gentle voice and concerned expression that conveyed most clearly that he cared for the people around him, and everyone he considered friends. Yes, he was a leader in every sense of the word, but he would not ask anyone to go where he was afraid to lead them. That was the type of leader that Arthur Pendragon, or Mr. Knight as he often called himself, was and no one knew it better than the two men sitting with him.

"I don't really see a problem with this, Nicolas," sneered the third man. "So the girl suffers a bit. Arthur, you even said it yourself; she survived it in the original timeline. I see no reason to believe that she would not survive the experience this time as well."

If the other two men in the room radiated wisdom and warmth, this third man radiated ice-cold logic bordering on indifference and contempt. His greasy jet-black hair framed a sallow face from which dead-looking jet black eyes looked out. His expression, more a facial tick than anything else, was more of a cruel smile than any reflection of worry about the young girl in question. Yet it was obvious from the nervous way in which he played with the ice in his drink that something was bothering him.

Sounding like he was trying to talk to a petulant grandchild more than an adult, Nicolas tried to explain his concerns again. "Severus, that's not the point and you know it. We are trying to save them from their fates, not force it upon them. Why can't you understand that?"

"If you are so worried about protecting them from their fates," hissed Snape, a sneer on his lips, "then stop trying to coddle them and help them fight so that they will become strong enough to win the battles that really matter. This is nothing compared to what they will face in the future, and what I can't understand is why YOU can't understand THAT."

Mr. Knight ran his fingers through his wildly unkempt hair with a sigh. "Nicolas. This time he's right. We can't protect them all the time or we just make them weaker in the long run. This course of action, painful as it will be, is the only one that assures us of a positive outcome."

"I just cannot accept that, Arthur," protested the ancient alchemist. "You might as well have never changed anything if you were just going to let this come to pass. I have never believed in the foolish notion that sacrificing one life is justified if it means saving another. There is always another option."

Snape laughed mockingly as he looked up at Nicolas. "Then tell us, oh greatest alchemist in history, tell us what you would do to save them? Better yet, how about we have Arthur tell us what the possible outcomes are if we do not allow this to play out?"

Mr. Knight stood and began pacing back and forth as he thought of what to say. "Nicolas, no matter what you might think, I have looked for a different path. If she does not get the diary, we are all in trouble. At the very best, we will have Voldemort returning within the year. At worst, we have two Voldemorts, the original and the one from the diary. The two Voldemorts would then fight it out over who would be the true Dark Lord, and in the process they would utterly destroy civilization as we know it. In all the variations, Harry ends up dead along with everyone he knows, and Avalon falls shortly thereafter. Only by allowing Ginny Weasley to use the diary can we be assured that Harry will be able to stop these tragedies from happening."

"Alright," sighed the defeated looking Nicolas. "I accept that it must be done, but I demand that we do everything in our power to protect her and the others."

"I'm already seeing to that," Mr. Knight replied with a smile.

"What he means is that I'm seeing to it," Snape added with a vicious laugh. "Always the spy, I will watch over her and do what I can to protect her."

"Your idea of protection leaves much to be desired, Severus," mumbled Nicolas.

Mr. Knight laughed as he walked over to look out one of the large windows in the room. "This time he's perfect for the job though. Where we would tamper too much, causing more harm than good, Severus will only step in when there is no other choice. And while he watches over the girl, we will be free to help Harry and the others."

"So, Severus," laughed Nicolas, "I see that being a sneaky bastard will finally pay off for you."

Snape was about to say something rather nasty to the innocently smiling old man, but just at that moment the main door opened. A saintly looking old woman, her silver hair done up neatly in a bun, stuck her head in to the room and smiled at the three men. Nicolas could not help but smile at the love of his life.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you boys, but lunch is ready," she said with a grin.

Mr. Knight chuckled as he watched Snape fight his natural instinct and remain silent rather than finish his reply to Nicolas. In all his years of existence, Mr. Knight had only ever met one other woman that demanded as much respect as Perenelle Flamel did. If Molly Weasley was the perfect example of a motherly figure, Perenelle had been the model that Molly had strived to follow. Together the two women could probably intimidate entire nations, and send world leaders to bed without supper.

"That woman positively radiates an aura of motherly emotions," Snape had told Mr. Knight after meeting Perenelle for the first time. "It's a bit overwhelming actually."

Mr. Knight had to agree with the former Hogwarts Potions Master. His own experience with mothers had been limited to his own, and even then it was not that extensive, but even he had to admit to being influenced by Perenelle's presence. Oddly enough though, he rather liked it.

"What are you boys up to today?" Perenelle asked as she led them to the dining hall. "Are you still arguing over that poor little girl and that horrible diary?"

Mr. Knight barely managed to keep from laughing as he watched Nicolas and Snape hang their heads like school boys caught smoking. The former king did not feel ashamed of his role in their discussions, but that did not mean that he did not see Perenelle's point of view. He also was not fool enough to lie to the woman that cooked his meals.

"She might not make that Sheppard's pie for me again if I did that," he thought before answering her. "We are pretty much agreed that she must take possession of the diary, but Nicolas fears for her safety even with Severus watching out for her. It is true that there is only so much that he can do without revealing himself, but Severus is our best option at the moment."

"Well if that's all you're concerned about, it's easily remedied," sighed the slender woman. "If you had just asked me earlier, I could have solved this silly little problem for you ages ago."

"You have a solution then, dear?" asked Nicolas, a knowing smile on his face.

"Of course I do," she said in a smug tone of voice. "They do need a potions professor at their school, don't they?"

"I cannot return to teach," began Snape, but Perenelle quickly cut him off.

"Who said anything about you returning teach, Severus?" she asked as she opened the doors to the dining hall. "I know of another potions master that is available to take the job."

Nicolas stopped dead in his tracks as he watched his wife of over six hundred years start slicing bread for their meal. Six hundred years with someone was bound to affect how you reacted to them, to their slightest inflection of speech or nod of their head. This was no exception because he immediately knew who she was talking about, and it was not him.

"You can't be serious, Perenelle," croaked the immortal alchemist.

"Who is she talking about, Nicolas?" Snape asked, curious as to who could alarm Nicolas so much.

"You don't live with the alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone without picking up a few things," answered Perenelle. "I never could make my own Philosopher's Stone, but potion making always reminded me of cooking. I followed the recipes long enough that eventually I learned how to make my own. In fact I got rather good at it, if I do say so myself."

Snape looked as if someone had just slapped him in the face as he took in what Perenelle had just said. "You're a Potions Master?"

Handing the stunned man a plate, Perenelle smiled at him warmly. "Severus, dear, I was the very first person to be officially recognized by that title. If you had studied harder in school, rather than playing with all that silly Dark magic, you would have known that already."

Mr. Knight, doing his very best not to laugh as Snape's world crashed down around him, thought it was actually rather fitting that things should turn out this way. Perenelle was the perfect person to watch after Ginny Weasley this year, there was no doubt about that. Still, no matter how he looked at things, it was going to be a very interesting year for Harry and Ginny. He only hoped that he and his companions would be up to the challenge.

"Let the battle commence," he thought to himself.

And he was right.


	2. Chapter 1: The Best Summer

_Hello, everyone!_

_Here we go with the first official chapter of my new story. I really hope you all enjoy it. It looks like Saturday night will be my regular update for a while, but we'll have to see what happens over time._

_I would like to thank everyone who volunteered to help me beta my stories. I have found a new beta to help me out. That being said, I want to thank both of my betas for once again making me sound much better than I really am._

_Now go read, and don't forget to review._

_Chris_

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********Chapter 1: The Best Summer**

Harry Potter, after a long and hard battle, was trapped with no possible means of escape that he could see. His enemies had effectively cut off all of his avenues of escape, and his last ally had betrayed him for the promise of rich rewards. Now Harry's only hope was to take as many of the enemy with him as he could when he finally made his final futile stand against them. It would be cold comfort when he finally fell, but at least it felt like some small measure of justice. Not that it really made him feel any better about his impending defeat.

"Give it up, Potter!" yelled one of his attackers. "We've got you, and nothing you try will save your arse this time."

"You've got nowhere to run this time," bellowed another.

"You may take me down," shouted Harry in return, sounding more confident than he really felt, "but I'll be taking some of you wankers with me!"

"Sure you will, Harry," mocked the leader of his attackers. "You're done for, just like Ginny."

Ginny had been one of the first to fall when the attack began. She had been right beside him, running for cover with their attackers right behind them. Suddenly two figures had jumped out of the bushes in front of them, surprising them both, and she had fallen to their simultaneous attacks before Harry could even push her out of the way. Harry had gotten one of them, but it was too late by then to do anything for Ginny. He had not even had time think about what had happened before he was forced to run for cover as more of the enemy reached them. He had only managed to scoop up her weapons as he ran, his anger burning hotly as he did.

Now, surrounded by shadowy figures poised to strike, Harry knew it was all over. Still, he had not been bluffing when he said he was not going down without a fight, and he fully intended to take some of the down with him. Checking his weapons, Harry took a deep breath and focused on what he had to do. Then, with one final deep breath, Harry leapt out from behind the tree he had been using for cover and rushed towards his attackers.

The assault was quick and brutal, and he only managed to take down two of his attackers before the rest got him. He had counted a total of five attacks coming at him all at once as he hit the leader in the face with his weapon, dropping her instantly while he spun and attacked the closest of his foes. He felt the impact of the five attacks even as he watched his enemies fall. It was a cold victory for him, and an even colder defeat.

"God, that's bloody cold!" he screamed as the five water balloons hit him. "Tonks! You charmed these bloody things, didn't you!"

"Winner!" shouted Sirius from the side of the house. "Team Tonks defeats Team Potter!"

"Too cold for you, Harry?" laughed Tonks, wiping the water out of her face from Harry's last attack. "Serves you right, hitting a poor girl in the face with a water balloon."

"Only thing poor about you," teased Harry, letting Ron help him to his feet, "is your absolute lack of anything resembling a fashion sense."

Tonks stuck her tongue out at Harry, and offered a rude hand gesture for him to consider as he watched his friends gather around him. The water balloon fight had been Tonks' idea, and it had been a good one, even if Harry and his team had lost. Still, he would have to think of a way to pay George back for his betrayal at the end.

"What's up with changing sides, George?" Harry said, rounding on the Weasley twin.

"Sorry about that, mate," George shrugged. "Tonks batted her eyelashes at me and I just couldn't resist."

Harry sighed, he had figured it was something like that. Tonks was currently using her Metamorphmagus abilities to appear like a fashion model she had seen in a Muggle magazine. It was always like this when she was around. Tonks had a massive crush on Remus Lupin, Harry's honorary uncle, and every time she showed up she would go out of her way to catch the poor man's attention. Remus, of course, was doing his best not to notice Tonks which just led to her trying even harder. To that end she was currently wearing a bathing suit that left little to the imagination, but held great power over the Weasley boys.

Tonks was Harry's adopted cousin. Actually, she was Sirius' cousin, and more like a sister to Harry than anything else, but it was easier just to call her his cousin than to try explaining the rather complicated twists and turns of their relationship. As long as he could remember, Tonks had spent the summers at Harry's house and they had become quite close over the years. To his knowledge, outside of her own parents, he was the only person to have ever seen Tonks in her real form and not the various versions of herself in which she normally appeared.

"I just don't get it, Nym," he had said to her on more than one occasion using the nickname that only he was allowed to call her. "Why are you trying to be someone else if you want Remus to like you for who you really are?"

Tonks would always shift back to her natural form, with her heart shaped face and long chestnut brown hair, whenever Harry asked this of her. "Look at me. Why would anyone notice me like this when they could have so much more?"

Harry never understood, considering he thought Tonks was one of the prettiest girls he had ever met when she was in her real form. No matter how many times he told her that though, Tonks would just smile at him and smile, telling Harry thanks but he would understand when he was older. Harry doubted he would ever stop thinking of her as pretty, and he thought that anyone that did not think the same of her was a prat. For all her protests, Harry knew that if she really wanted to win Remus' heart, she was going to have to figure that out for herself and there was nothing he could say that would change her mind until she did.

Until then, Harry knew that the long standing tradition of no door being safe while Tonks was around would continue. It was actually rather funny to see Remus stalking through the house blushing furiously after opening a door in the house and finding Tonks there in one state of undress or another. Thankfully with the Weasley boys staying for most of the summer, Harry hoped that the surprises would not be as bad as they had the summer before last when poor Remus had finally packed up his things and gone to stay with friends until Tonks left for her last year at Hogwarts.

Grace trotted over to Harry, breaking his train of thought. "There is no honor in changing sides in a battle, George."

"Oh fine, this coming from the centaur that runs faster than any of the rest of us?" teased Fred.

"I have to agree with Fred on that point," laughed Harry. "Next time you play as a human, Grace."

"What?" she laughed, her long white tail swishing playfully. "Why in the world would I give up my advantage?"

"You tell 'im, Grace!" hooted Tonks.

Grace was another mystery to Harry. The young snow-white centaur girl had lived in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts her entire life. Then the previous school year there had been a horrible attack which had taken the life of her betrothed, a centaur by the name of Firenze. Firenze's death was yet another of the things that Harry felt guilty for, and why Grace would want to associate with the person responsible for her betrothed's death was beyond Harry. At first she had left the forest to live on the grounds of the school, but when the school year ended she had enlisted the help of Professor McGonagall to transform her in to a human girl, and then returned with Harry to his home.

Sirius and Grace had instantly hit it off together, much to Harry's surprise. Within an hour of their arrival home, Harry had caught the two of them talking about astronomy, among other things. On the one hand it was a good thing to see Grace taking an interest in something other than dwelling on the death of Firenze, but Harry worried what would happen when she returned to the Forbidden Forest. That was, if she ever did return.

"Well we could always try turning everyone in to centaurs then next time we play," suggested Neville. "Might actually be fun that way, don't you think?"

"Yeah," answered Ron. "Right after we fall on our faces a few times while we try to learn how to walk."

Harry laughed at the image, and smiled as he thought of the differences in his friends. When he had first met Neville on the train to Hogwarts, Neville had been shy to the point of being mute. He had often seemed clumsy and forgetful because of his constant attempts to blend in to the background. Maybe it was because Harry and Ron had befriended him, and maybe it was because Neville was finally away from his domineering grandmother, but Neville had soon become a confident young man that Harry now considered one of his closest friends.

The same could be said for Ron Weasley. Ron had been a bit overly interested in Harry's dubious fame as "the-Boy-Who-Lived" when Harry had first met him. It had never been an obvious thing, but Harry had known that Ron was a bit jealous of him. That had quickly passed however, when Ron finally figured out that Harry had not wanted the fame, or even known about it until shortly before his arrival at Hogwarts. After that, Ron had seemed to completely forget about Harry's fame, and become one of Harry's strongest allies. He, along with Neville and Hermione, had followed Harry when he went after the Philosopher's Stone at the end of the previous year, ignoring the dangers and doing what was needed to be done.

The aftermath of that adventure had been hard for Harry to deal with. Besides the fact that one of Harry's favorite professors, Severus Snape, had died to save Harry's life, he had also discovered several other things about his life that he had not known previously. The two that haunted him the most were that he was expected to defeat Voldemort, the most powerful Dark wizard in years, and the fact that his oldest and closest friend was actually King Arthur Pendragon. Those two revelations had very nearly crushed Harry's spirit, and if not for his friends he would have run away the moment he got free of them. Thankfully, they had not given him the chance.

"_Of course that doesn't mean I couldn't do without them all pushing me to cheer up all the time," _Harry thought to himself.

The pushiest of them all was his friend Hermione Granger. She and the Weasleys had returned home with Harry at the end of the school year, having made arrangements with their families before the events of the Philosopher's Stone, and before Harry could stop them. Ever since their arrival at Harry's home, Hermione had been pushing him to open up about his feelings even after he had assured her several times that he was doing better now. Harry knew she meant well, not wanting him to dwell on Professor Snape's death, but he found it difficult to talk to her about how he felt about it. The situation was not made any easier by the fact that she kept trying to talk Neville and Ron into helping her.

Neville had returned home with his grandmother at the end of the school year, and even though he had only arrived at Harry's home that morning, Hermione had been writing the poor boy almost daily in an attempt to enlist his aid with Harry. Neville had of course warned Harry about Hermione's plans to make him open up, but that had not stopped her from trying. Now that they were all together now, along with Fred and George, Harry felt much better about his life and his choices, and he hoped that Hermione would see that and back off a bit. It was either that or he was thinking of having Sirius turn her into a radish.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted again, this time by a small and familiar hand sneaking its way into his own. He liked the way that hand fit in to his. Turning, Harry saw the face of his greatest comfort and closest friend, Ginny Weasley. Ginny had saved Harry in so many ways since her arrival at King's Cross station. Not the least of which had been to pull him out of the dark mood he had been in and show him that there was still some happiness to be found in his life.

Harry had been set upon a course of action that would have driven all of his friends away before finally allowing him to run away from home. He had thought that in order to protect everyone he loved he would have to leave them behind lest Voldemort come after each of them in turn. It had been a foolish plan, and thankfully Ginny had figured it out almost immediately, telling him in no uncertain terms that should he try to run away, she would hunt him down and go with him. Her words had stopped Harry cold in his tracks, and he had never even considered the plan again for fear that she might carry through on her threats. If there was one thing Harry knew for certain, it was that he would risk everything to protect Ginny, even if that meant laying his own life down to do it.

Looking at her now, Harry could not help but smile. At eleven years old, well almost eleven at any rate, Ginny was already the prettiest girl that Harry could ever remember seeing. At least that's what Harry thought, and although he might have been a little biased, looking at her he could see the beauty that she would grow to be in time. Sure, her knees were often scraped up and scabbed over, but Harry did not care about that and thought it showed that she was not afraid to live a little and have fun. Her hair, wet and tangled at the moment, still glowed with its mixture of red and gold as it hung down to the middle of her small shoulder blades. There was also a bit of baby fat still clinging to her small frame, but Harry thought that just made her look even cuter.

If Harry had to point to one thing about Ginny that really drew his attention, he could answer easily and without ever even having to think about it. Ginny had the most marvelous brown eyes. Ginny's eyes reminded Harry of the color of chocolate chips, and sparked and shined when she smiled at him. To the rest of the world Ginny might just be an average little eleven year old girl, but to Harry she was something much more. To Harry, Ginny was his best friend, confidant, and the most beautiful and wonderful girl in the world.

"_Ok,"_ Harry thought to himself with a secret grin. _"So I've got a major crush on her. It's not like I have to do anything about it right this moment. I'll tell her when the time is right. Besides, she might not even feel the same way about me."_

"What are you thinking about, Harry?" Ginny asked, her cheeks turning a slight pink as she looked up in to his eyes.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you as my best friend," he answered, smiling back at her.

If Harry had been a little older, and far more experienced when it came to women, he might have noticed the fleeting shadow that seemed to pass over Ginny's face. Unfortunately he was neither of those things, and the shadow lasted only briefly. Soon it was only a memory, and one never to be remembered by him, as Harry led Ginny towards the house in the distance.

The home that Harry had shared with his adopted uncles looked like any other Muggle home from the outside. The Den, as Sirius jokingly called it, was just a simple two story cottage like many other that you could find along the coast of England and Scotland. It was not Sirius' only house, though. Harry had heard his uncles talking about a home that Remus owned in Scotland, and one in London that Sirius had inherited from his mother when she had passed away several years before. Harry had never seen either of those two houses, but that barely mattered to him because the Den was his home and that was all he cared about.

It looked quite ordinary from the outside, but inside it often tended to change depending upon what was needed at any given time. Sirius had a habit of changing the way the interior of the house looked depending on his moods, which could sometimes be frightening. Harry still shuddered at the memory of a time when Sirius had been depressed about breaking up with a young lady he had only been seeing for a week. Regardless of how short Sirius' time with her had been, Harry and Remus had been forced to live in what looked like a medieval dungeon for a month afterwards. It was lucky for everyone staying there that summer that the house currently resembled nothing more than a quaint summer cottage, albeit a rather large summer cottage. Sirius had added several bathrooms and bedrooms when Harry had asked if it was alright for his friends to come for the summer, even adding a special room for Grace to stay in that was on the ground floor next to the family room.

"Harry Potter," Ginny finally said as they walked together towards the cottage. "If nothing else, you're lucky I'm around to keep you out of trouble."

"How sweet," mocked Fred.

"They are just so cute together, brother dear?" replied George.

"Darling," nodded Fred, looking at Ron. "Don't you think so, Ron?"

"Don't get me mixed up in this," protested the youngest Weasley boy, moving behind Hermione for protection. "I can't believe you two are stupid enough to actually tempt fate by making fun of her."

"Ron's right," Grace agreed. "You two need to leave your sister alone. She and Harry do not need you two twits making fun of them."

"Especially when the closest thing to a girlfriend that you two have ever had is when you stole my dolls and tried to transform them in to real girls," snarled Ginny.

"W-we never," stammered Fred with a pale face.

"You have no proof," finished George, but his eyes looked wild.

Grace had become an odd mix of older sister and authority figure since her arrival. There had been a bit of confusion when she had first arrived, mainly due to her dislike of human clothing, but that had been solved by Hermione providing the centaur girl with a bikini top that would allow her to feel unencumbered while keeping the distractions to a minimum. The twins had been rather disappointed in Hermione for helping to solve that particular problem, but all in all Harry thought it was for the best. Grace, with her snow white skin and hair, was already a major distraction to the men around Harry's home with just her face visible. Add to that her other assets and it had been chaos until Hermione had come up with her solution.

"I wish I looked that good in a bikini," Tonks had grumbled upon first meeting Grace, and then had remembered that she could modify her appearance which led to several more distractions that morning.

"What do you guys want to do now?" asked Hermione. "We do still have some homework to do, you know."

"Or we could play some Quidditch," countered Ron.

Hermione sighed, knowing she had already lost this argument. "Yes. You could all go play Quidditch and get even further behind with your homework."

"Glad you agree," laughed Fred.

"You always have such good ideas, Hermione," added George, winking at the bushy haired witch.

Hermione looked as if she was about to say something in reply when Sirius bellowed from the house, cutting her off. "LUNCH!"

One of the things that Harry liked the most about this summer was Mrs. Weasley's daily visits. Originally she had just come by to drop off Ginny's things and pick up the boys' school things, but upon seeing the condition of Sirius' kitchen, not to mention catching a whiff of his cooking, she had volunteered to stop by daily to cook for the rag tag group. She would arrive shortly before lunch, and often stay until after tea doing laundry and cleaning around the house. The rest of the day could almost be spent in fascination as one would watch Mrs. Weasley Apparating back and forth between her own home and the Den in such a casual manner that it seemed almost a dance rather than housework.

Sirius had complained a bit at first, not wanting Mrs. Weasley to feel that she had to take care of them like a serving woman, but when Arthur Weasley started dropping by at night to visit, Sirius had calmed down. Harry had to admit, not only was her cooking responsible for Sirius' acceptance of her, but it probably did not hurt that Mrs. Weasley did the laundry for him, a task that Sirius had long considered the bane of his existence. So it was that they all settled in to a pattern, and so it was that Harry started to feel his family was growing.

Sirius had actually invited Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to stay for the summer, but Percy, their third oldest son, had claimed that he had too much studying to do, so they had politely declined. Still, even dividing her time between both households, Mrs. Weasley had always made sure that everyone was well cared for. With the addition of the Hermione's parents, who often visited on the weekends, Harry had found himself surrounded by an ever growing family. What was more, he found that he liked it.

The dark thoughts that had filled his mind at the end of his first year at Hogwarts had quickly faded with his return home. Harry had to admit that much of that had to do with Ginny's presence. After almost a year of writing daily to each other, the only Weasley girl had easily figured out his plans and spent her every waking moment convincing him that no matter what, she was there for him. Their late night conversations had gotten to be legendary in just a few days, but no one complained even when they often woke to find Harry and Ginny asleep together in his room.

"Harry," giggled Ginny as she tugged on his arm. "You're thinking too hard again."

"Sorry, Ginny," smiled Harry playfully. "Just wondering how my life got so good in such a short amount of time."

Ginny laughed a laugh that always seemed to sparkle in the air around her and always brought a smile to Harry's face. "I told you before. It's all thanks to me."

"Yes it is," Harry agreed, smiling back at her.

"See what you would have missed if you had taken off?" she asked, dropping her voice so that only Harry could hear her and gesturing to the smiling faces around them.

Harry nodded and smiled at her again. "Yeah, I understand now, but it's all thanks to you, Ginny."

Lunch was a light and happy affair eaten outside as they usually did when the weather was nice. As Harry sat there at the table the Sirius had conjured up for them to use, he thought about how much he would have missed his friends and family if he really had run away, especially Ginny. She was not only his best friend, she was also something of a savior for Harry. As he took his seat at the table with Ginny sitting next to him, Harry said a silent prayer of thanks for her and all the people in his life.

"_I almost gave this all up,"_ he thought as he watched the twins teasing Ron about one thing or another. _"I was such a prat."_

As he listened to the happy sounds of his friends and family, Harry caught an odd movement out of the corner of his eye. A bush next to the kitchen door seemed to be swaying in the breeze. The odd thing was, there was no breeze that afternoon. Harry nudged Ginny's side, when she looked up at him he nodded towards the bush. Ginny looked that way, and nodded ever so slightly when she noticed the same thing that Harry had. To both their surprise, a large pair of tennis ball sized eyes suddenly looked out at them from the bush.

"Am I imagining that?" he whispered to Ginny.

She shook her head and whispered back. "Only if I'm imagining it as well."

Harry watched the bush, and more importantly the eyes that were looking back at him from it. For a few moments he tried to decide what to do about the strange eyes. He did not feel threatened by the eyes, nor was there a sense of evil coming from them, but Harry still felt slightly uncomfortable. He had just made up his mind to say something to his uncles when Harry heard a voice from behind him. It was not a voice he had really wanted to hear so soon, but it was still one that he had missed in the weeks since returning home.

"Mind if I join you?"

Harry turned, all thoughts of the strange bush with eyes pushed from his mind and forgotten now. Mr. Knight, Harry's mysterious benefactor, was walking towards the table with a friendly smile. Harry had not seen or heard from Mr. Knight since waking up in the hospital ward at Hogwarts. Since then, Harry had tried not to think too much about everything he had learned about his oldest friend. It turned out he was a living legend, or at least a legend, and that he had the power to do amazing things. Yet for all that, Mr. Knight still claimed that Harry was more important. Harry was still unsure of how he felt about seeing his old friend after all the things he had learned about that day, but he had known that eventually he was going to have to whether he wanted to or not.

Remus was already standing, as was Sirius, to greet their guest. "We would be most honored, sir."

"Thank you so much, Remus," Mr. Knight replied with a smile.

With a wave of his wand, Sirius conjured a comfortable seat for Mr. Knight next to Harry. After several introductions, Harry's long time friend and protector was sitting between Harry and Ginny. Harry noticed the almost guilty expression on Mr. Knight's face as he glanced at Ginny occasionally. He wondered what would cause an expression like that on the older man's face, but he decided he would wait until later when they had a chance to talk privately.

"So, you're the Ginny that Harry has told me so much about," commented Mr. Knight, his expression suddenly becoming warm and friendly. "I swear I've heard so much about you that I feel as if I've known you forever."

Ginny, her face suddenly covered in a rosy blush, nodded and fought to find her voice. "I've heard a lot about you as well, sir."

"Oh, of that I have absolutely no doubt," laughed Mr. Knight. "I can't wait to hear everything that Harry has said about me."

Harry did not hear her reply as she leaned towards the older man and whispered a question in his ear. Mr. Knight smiled at her for a moment and then nodded, causing Ginny to squeak like a mouse that had been stepped on and to blush even brighter. Of course with a reaction like that, Harry was positive he knew what Ginny had asked and it was obvious that Mr. Knight had confirmed for her that he really was Arthur Pendragon, former King of the Britons. Mr. Knight for his part was just laughing at her reaction to confirmation of his identity. Everyone else at the table just stared, looking slightly confused and wondering what in the world was going on to make Ginny blush like that.

It was Tonks that eventually broke the silence. "So, you're Harry's guardian angel? I've heard about you, but this is the first time we've actually met. Care to tell us a bit about yourself?"

"Yes, Tonks," he confirmed, his expression a mixture of kindness and sadness. "I am Harry's guardian angel, metaphorically speaking, and I would like to think his friend. As for telling you a bit about myself, well there isn't really much to tell."

Harry saw the man he had called friend for so many years look at him out of the corner of his eye as he spoke with Tonks. Harry almost laughed as he listened to Mr. Knight giving answers to all Tonk's questions, but leaving her as much in the dark as she had been before they started talking. Looking back at Mr. Knight, Harry was sure there was a look of doubt in those vividly blue eyes that seemed to twist in his heart. He thought about it for a moment, about everything that he had been told after recovering the Philosopher's Stone. He had been confused then, and more than a little hurt, but most of all he had felt a sense of betrayal that his oldest friend had kept such secrets from him. Now, sitting there surrounded by his family, for they were all his family now, he realized that it did not really matter to him anymore. His friendship with Mr. Knight, or Arthur Pendragon, was far more important than his foolish insecurities.

"Yes," Harry said firmly, turning to smile at the former king during a break in Tonk's questions. "You are still my friend, and always will be."

Mr. Knight, obviously relieved, smiled genuinely at Harry. "Thanks, Harry."

"But we're going to have a very long conversation about things," Harry continued with a wink. "Very soon, I think."

"Yes we will," agreed the older man, smiling even wider now.

It was almost funny to watch the curious faces of the people sitting around Harry and Mr. Knight. No one knew exactly what was going on between the two of them, but they could tell that it was important. Harry was not really worried about their reactions, and he would tell some of them all about it soon enough. What was truly important was that he had finally made his peace with Mr. Knight. That was all that really mattered to him at the moment.

"Not to interrupt this extremely heartwarming moment," laughed Sirius, "but I'm starving, so if you don't mind I'd like to eat now."

"One moment, please?" begged the former king. "We have one more visitor to welcome. If he will come out and join us that is?"

Mr. Knight looked over at the bush that Harry had noticed earlier and smiled at it. "Please, come out of there and join us, won't you, Dobby?"

Harry and several of the others were rather surprised when the bush suddenly gave a guilty twitch and a small creature with enormous green eyes and a long thin nose stumbled out of the bush. The poor creature wore what looked like an old and dirty pillow case for clothing, and he was busy wringing his fingers together so vigorously that Harry thought he might hurt himself if he continued.

"Blimey!" gasped Fred. "We've never seen a…"

"Real house-elf before," finished George.

"What's a house-elf?" Hermione asked, looking puzzled and a bit surprised by the sudden appearance of the miserable looking creature.

"House-elves are powerful magical beings," answered Remus. "They are bound to a particular magical household and serve as a caretaker and servant to that household until they die, or until they are freed."

"Freed?" asked Ginny.

"We is slaves to our houses, and our families, miss," answered Dobby. "It is a great dishonor for a house-elf to be given clothes and freed."

Hermione, her eyes bright with tears, shook her head at Dobby's words. "That is just horrible, Dobby. Isn't there any way you can get away from your masters?"

"Get away, miss?" Dobby asked, looking confused by her question. "All we is wanting is to serve. It's what we are."

Harry noticed though that the strange creature looked a little more nervous than before after Hermione's questions. "So all house-elves wish to serve? There are never any house-elves that wish to be free?"

Suddenly Dobby looked panic stricken and with no warning he dashed over to the corner of the house. Before anyone could stop him, Dobby began bashing his head against the corner of the house shrieking "Bad Dobby!" over and over again. Already a trickle of blood was running down the poor creature's face from a small cut above his forehead, and if he kept it up for much longer Harry was sure that he would be seriously injured.

"STOP!" roared Mr. Knight, and Dobby did so instantly. "As is my right, I forbid you to harm yourself while in my presence, Dobby! Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes, Master Pendragon," answered Dobby, his large green eyes filled with tears and a look of gratitude.

Once again the large table was silent, unmoving except for Grace who sat shaking her head sadly as she looked at the house-elf. Harry watched all of this and wondered if it was the strange scene that had frozen his friends and family, or if it was Mr. Knight's command that held them. Surely it must be the latter because he could not imagine that they had not heard Dobby call Mr. Knight by his true name, and that surely would have caused a commotion if there was not some unknown power at work. Thinking about it, Harry realized that he also felt a slight compulsion to not move or speak, but it was not so great that he could not look around.

"Dobby," said Mr. Knight gently. "I know what dark compulsions are upon you right now, and the fear of betraying your family that must be driving you to them. I also know the reason why you are here, but I want you to know that your worries and fears are misplaced. I will be watching over him for as long as need be, and I will let no harm come to him while it is within my power to prevent it. So, you needn't worry about harm coming to him, okay?."

Dobby sighed and relaxed at Mr. Knight's words, and his eyes once again filled with tears. "Thank you, Master. Harry Potter is a great and powerful wizard, but you is an even greater one for protecting him."

"You're welcome, Dobby," replied the former king. "I promise you this, before the year rolls around again, I will find a way to give you exactly what you secretly desire. You have my word on it."

"Thank you," sobbed Dobby. "You is truly a great and kind Master. The greatest of Masters Dobby has ever met. I will be at your service always."

"There is no need for that, Dobby," assured Mr. Knight. "Though it's best you be getting home now before your family misses you."

Without another word, only a nod of his head and a loud crack, Dobby vanished. No one even turned to see what had happened except for Harry and Grace. Harry just turned to look at his friend, while Grace wiped a hand across her face to rid it of a tear that had rolled down her cheek. Mr. Knight looked sadly at where the house-elf had been standing, and he also had tears in his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked finally, fighting the desire to remain silent.

"Some of my mistakes still haunt me, Harry," sighed his mysterious friend. "But why is everyone so quiet?"

Looking around at the table, Mr. Knight realized that no one was moving and he suddenly realized his mistake. "Bugger! I'm so sorry, everyone. I didn't think when I commanded Dobby to stop."

With a whisper too low for Harry to hear, the compulsion to remain silent and still left them all. The table which had only a moment before been absolutely silent was suddenly filled with the babble of curious questions and hushed conversations as everyone tried to figure out what had happened. Only a few--Harry's uncles, himself, and Grace--looked as if they understood what had happened. Mrs. Weasley looked slight worried, while Hermione spoke so quickly to Ron, asking question after question, that the youngest Weasley boy was looking around wild eyed. Harry thought at any moment his friend would take off running. Neville and the twins were whispering amongst themselves, and Harry was much mistaken if they were not talking about the name they had heard and that Neville was obviously confirming.

Ginny for her part was looking up at Mr. Knight with a mixture of blind admiration and star struck wonder. Harry was not sure if that was a good thing or not, but it was at least easy to understand. Even he felt a bit in awe of his old friend. After all, it was not every day that you got to see King Arthur command a magical creature to do something, and then to see the creature follow that order so obviously.

"What was all that about?" Tonks asked finally.

Ginny looked over at Tonks, and he could not tell if it was with frustration or mistrust. Since Tonks had arrived that morning Harry had noticed that Ginny was often watching her closely. Her confidence, something he had always admired about Ginny, had seemed to diminish with each passing hour since his cousin's arrival. He had no idea why Ginny should suddenly seem so nervous, and he felt that it was not his place to ask her about it. Harry doubted she would appreciate him butting in to her private thoughts and life.

"Dobby had a message to deliver to Harry," answered Mr. Knight. "It was lucky that I had come here today to speak of the very same thing, so I was able to let him return home without speaking of it."

"Is this something I need to know about as Harry's guardian?" Sirius asked suddenly, a look of great concern on his face, one that Harry had not often seen there.

Mr. Knight looked around the table, seeming to take in the faces of those around him. Then turning to face Sirius he nodded his head gravely, and Harry knew that whatever message he carried must be dark indeed. Within minutes, only enough time to hurriedly eat some of Mrs. Weasley's fine lunch, the three of them were secreted away in Sirius' private study. Harry had only rarely sat in Sirius' most private sanctuary, and he stared around the room in awe at all the shelves of books and strange trinkets. In many ways he was reminded of the library at Hogwarts, but this room seemed far more serious than that far off room.

"_I can barely believe that Sirius would like a room like this,"_ thought Harry as he looked around the large room. _"I mean it's not exactly his style to sit around and read. Of course, I have no idea what he does while I'm away at school, so maybe he really does like this kind of thing."_

"Now what is it that brings you here to talk to Harry?" asked Sirius as he sat behind his large wooden desk. "And why should a house-elf from an unnamed estate be here to deliver the same message?"

Mr. Knight sat back in one of the large black leather chairs in front of Sirius' desk, Harry was sitting in the other one, and crossed his legs comfortably. He seemed to be thinking carefully about what he was going to say, and Harry saw the former king looking at him several times before he seemed to come to a decision as to what to answer. Gravely, and with great care Mr. Knight began to speak.

"There are many things that I can tell you openly," he began, "and many more that I cannot. I must choose my words carefully because there are things that must happen and if I should speak carelessly they may not come to pass. Although my power is great, as is my right as former ruler of all these lands, I am still powerless to accomplish many things."

He took a deep breath, seeming once again to consider his words carefully before he continued. "It is not within my power to defeat Voldemort, for that task has fallen to another and I dare not tamper too much in its completion. Even in my time there were legends and prophecies that controlled us all and directed our steps that we might dream of a better day to come. Yet before any may even dream of such a day there are dark years before us. Years that I may not cut short lest Voldemort should succeed in his dark desires. The events of this upcoming year are among those dark times."

Harry hung his head, knowing that the task of defeating Voldemort was one that had fallen squarely upon his small shoulders. The thought terrified him because he had yet to think of any possible way that he, a boy not even in his second year at Hogwarts, might be able to defeat the Darkest wizard in recorded history. If the legendary King Arthur could not do it, then how could he hope to? It was a fool's dream, and Harry knew it even if he did not wish to admit it.

"Something is going to happen this year?" asked Sirius, worry evident on his face and in his eyes.

"Yes," replied Mr. Knight. "A dark and foolish plan has been set in motion by an even more foolish man. He seeks only to advance his own power, but the consequences of his actions could have far darker results than even he dreams. We have the ability to prevent those evil results, but only if we let him carry out his sinister plans."

"So, we have to let something bad happen in order to prevent something worse from happening?" asked Harry, feeling confused and frightened.

Mr. Knight looked at him gravely and nodded. "I hate to admit it, but yes. We are forced in to this situation because the alternative is far worse."

"How can you possibly know that?" demanded Harry, desperate to understand. "I can't believe there are no other choices. You're the one that used to tell me that we always have choices!"

With a great sigh, Mr. Knight looked between Harry and his uncle before smiling and nodding to himself. "I was not making that up, Harry, but sometimes all our choices are bad ones and we can only choose the one that does the least amount of damage. In this case I know what choices we are bound to because I can walk through time as you would walk through the streets of a busy city. Just as you can see the many different paths that you might take to get to your final destination, so I can see the many different paths that time itself might take if not for certain things happening. Each twist and turn leads to a different destination, and I have looked at many of them in my wanderings. Our choices right now lead either to darkness without end, or a small period of darkness that we will all survive. It's the best I can offer you."

"You've been meddling with time," Harry said suddenly, finally understanding how it was that Mr. Knight knew so much about what was to come and what their choices would be.

"Exactly right, Harry," smiled Mr. Knight. "I have been doing exactly that, and it is my hope that my tampering has in some small measure helped all of us. Unfortunately for us all, this upcoming year seems to be a crossroads of sorts, and my hands are tied to change what is to happen. If I should change too much, we will all fail and a chain of events could unfold that none of us could hope to survive."

"Now I understand," grunted Sirius. "That's why you were there the night that Harry's parents died. You were there to change history when you made sure that Harry came to live with me."

Mr. Knight nodded his head once again before Sirius rushed on. "Harry originally went to live with his aunt and her family? Wait; don't answer that because I see in your expression that I'm right. What I want to know is what would have happened to me had you not been there that night?"  
"Do you really want to know?" asked Mr. Knight, his face once again grave, but he continued when Sirius nodded his head firmly. "You were accused of the death of Peter Pettigrew and several Muggle bystanders. You were sent to Azkaban without trial or hope of release. It would have been twelve years before you escaped that evil place, and your freedom would have been short lived as you would have died two years later. Your death at the hands of…"

"Stop!" begged Sirius. "Don't tell me another word. I should have never asked you that question, and I think I will have nightmares about it for years to come. It's far too much to know, even if it never happened."

"How did he escape?" Harry asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Padfoot snuck out past the Dementors, and swam to shore," Mr. Knight answered with a snicker.

Harry laughed and winked at his pale faced uncle. "Why you crafty old dog you! We'll have to remember that one, just in case."

Sirius actually managed to look slightly embarrassed as Mr. Knight and his godson laughed at him. "Hopefully you will never need to remember that particular indignity, Harry. Now, if you are done giving Harry more ammunition to use against me some day, there are still many things that we need to know."

Mr. Knight nodded and once again seemed to consider his words carefully before he spoke. "There are many things that Harry will need to know this year. Some of those things I may freely tell you, but some I have been forbidden to speak of so that you might learn them on your own. Fortunately for us, there is a loophole in the forbidding that I believe will allow me to tell you much more than might otherwise be permitted."

"And what is that loophole?" Sirius asked, his embarrassment gone and a look a look of guarded curiosity replacing it.

"Questions," answered Mr. Knight. "I can answer your questions because that is how we learn. It is desired that you should learn many lessons before you fulfill your destiny, and how better to learn than to ask questions? As I was told once, not that very long ago, 'if you are old enough to ask the question then you are old enough to hear the answer.' That being the case, Harry, if you ask the right questions then there is nothing I can't tell you."

Harry absorbed Mr. Knight's words for a moment, letting them sink in and take root until he knew exactly what the first question he wanted to ask would be. "Yes, I have a question for you. I want to know why I am the only one that can defeat Voldemort?"

Sirius looked shaken to hear his godson openly speak of his dreaded destiny, but Mr. Knight just beamed at the young boy as he answered. "That is the perfect question, Harry, and the best place to start from. So, let us cast our thoughts back to a night a little over 12 years ago. It was an ordinary night, and no one could have ever guessed that it would change the world so much. It all starts with a foolish woman giving a prophecy, and a jealous man who made a horrible mistake…"


	3. Chapter 2: Meddling Elves

_Hello everyone!_

_Well here's an early delivery for all of you. I have some things to do Saturday night, so thought I would post the new chapter a little early. I hope you all enjoy it. Hopefully it will answer many of the questions you have asked me in the reviews._

_As of today, chapter four is written, and I'm typing it up now. Chapter five is about halfway complete, and I hope will be finished by Sunday. Hopefully that means I'll have four in the hands of my betas this weekend._

_Once again, thanks go out to my two lovely and talented betas for helping me to sound much better than I would if I were doing this on my own._

_So, as always, go read and review so I know if you like it._

_Chris_

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* * *

****Chapter 2: Meddling Elves**

Ginny Weasley was not happy, not happy at all. For one thing, she hated the fact that her brothers insisted on treating her like a baby. No matter what she said or did, her annoying brothers just seemed to humor her, never really taking her seriously. It drove her crazy and it did not help her feel any better about herself. That, of course, led to the other reasons she was upset.

When Harry had first invited Ginny to spend the summer at his home, she had barely been able to contain her excitement. A whole summer spent alone with Harry was Ginny's idea of paradise, at least until she found out that her brothers and several other of Harry's friends had also been invited as well. Still, it was going to be time spent with Harry, and that was all Ginny cared about. At least, it had been until she had seen Harry on the platform at King's Cross.

It had broken Ginny's heart when she saw him standing there, his marvelous green eyes looking cold and dead. Then, when he had collapsed into her arms, she had wanted to break down as well. Harry had needed her to be strong for him, so she had held back her own tears and held him as he shed his own. It was the hardest thing she had ever done, but Ginny was not a weak little girl as her brothers thought. She was made of far stronger stuff than they gave her credit for.

Over the weeks since her arrival at Harry's house, or the Den as Harry and his uncles called it, the two of them had talked a great deal about what had happened when he and the others went after the Philosopher's Stone. The guilt that Harry felt because of his part in the events that had caused Neville to be injured and the death of Severus Snape had been overwhelming for Harry. Even now she doubted he had fully accepted that he was not at fault for the Potions Master's death. It might be years before he did truly accept it. That was, if he ever did accept it.

Ginny had grown much closer to Harry during their time together and she hoped that he felt the same way. At least that had been her hope until she had met his cousin, Nymphadora Tonks. Harry had introduced her to the beautiful young woman that morning and immediately Ginny had felt her heart fill with a sense of cold dread. Not only was Nymphadora, for that was how Ginny thought of her, older and beautiful, she was also someone that had been a part of Harry's life since he was a baby.

Harry had explained to Ginny that Nymphadora was a Metamorphmagus, a very rare talent in the Magical world. Wizards or witches born with that ability could change their appearance at will. Rather than easing Ginny's apprehension concerning Harry's cousin, the youngest Weasley had felt even worse after learning about the older girl's ability. The reason for that dread was because Tonks chose to look so lovely. Tonks was long limbed and perfectly proportioned with her skin being lightly tanned and perfectly clear. Even her long blonde hair was perfect. Ginny had no idea how she was supposed to compete for Harry's affections against someone that could instantly become the ideal woman for him. She was after all only ten, almost eleven, and years away from looking anything like she thought a real woman should look.

Now, as she stood naked before the full length bathroom mirror, Ginny looked at her reflection with harsh eyes. "I'm just a little girl. There is absolutely no way Harry will ever notice me when Nymphadora is around. She's absolutely perfect whereas I look like a little boy, a chubby boy at that. While she can look any way she wants at any time she wants. How unfair is that?"

With harsh eyes, Ginny scanned her body and catalogued all of her imagined faults. "My skin is covered in these stupid freckles. I'm so pale they stick out like warning lights to scare off any boys that might possibly like me. My legs are too long for my body and my knees are all bony. Not to mention they are always covered in scabs from where I am constantly bumping into things. My hair is too red and my eyes are this stupid and boring brown color. Just to top it all off, I'm chubby and there is no sign of me ever looking like a real girl."

Scowling at her reflection, Ginny got dressed and gathered up her wet things before leaving the bathroom and heading for her room. As she walked, her thoughts kept replaying her own critical analysis of herself over and over again. Each time they repeated, another imagined fault would be added to the list until she could barely keep track of them all. One small voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that it was all in her imagination and she was exaggerating things, but she ignored that voice. The arrival of Nymphadora that morning had put her in a bad mood. She was in no condition to be reasonable about it.

Dropping her wet things off in the bedroom she shared with Hermione, Ginny made her way downstairs and outside. Harry and Sirius were still locked away in Sirius' study with Mr. Knight, which only made Ginny feel more out of sorts. She knew it was irrational of her to think that the three of them should have included her in their deliberations, but it still made her feel lonely and a bit jealous that she had not even been invited. She just kept dwelling on it, even though she knew that it was beyond Harry's control.

_I bet he would have asked Ron, Neville, and Hermione to join if Mr. Knight would have allowed it,_ she thought darkly as she stepped outside to look for Hermione.

Ginny and Hermione had become fast friends after meeting each other in person for the first time. Hermione was everything Ginny wanted to be when it came to schoolwork, although Ginny thought the bushy brown haired witch could do with learning to have a bit more fun. Still, Hermione was a good friend and Ginny was grateful that she would have at least one female friend at school when she arrived in September. It was always so dreadfully depressing when the only people she had to talk to were boys, except for when she talked to Harry.

After a few minutes of searching, Ginny found Hermione sitting with Grace and Nymphadora under one of the trees at the edge of the woods that bordered Sirius' property. The three of them were talking and laughing as Ginny approached, but grew very quiet when they heard someone approach. It was only when they realized that it was Ginny that they started talking and laughing again. She tried not to give Nymphadora a nasty look, but it was a hard fought battle for Ginny. Instead she managed to force her face into a happy smile, although she feared it was a smile that did not carry to her eyes.

"Ginny!" called Hermione. "What took you so long? We've been waiting ages for you."

"Yeah," Nymphadora agreed with a nod of her head. "She was about to send out the search and rescue wizards to find you. I barely managed to stop her just as you arrived."

"_I bet it was you that was worried," _thought Ginny, keeping her thoughts well hidden. _"Probably afraid I was off all alone with Harry, weren't you, you hussy?"_

"I wanted to get out of my wet bathing suit," she said out loud as she took a seat on the ground next to Hermione. "What did I miss?"

Grace snorted and Ginny looked up at the beautiful centaur filly. Grace was lying behind a fallen tree so that she could rest her upper body on it. She looked rather content with her arms folded on top of the log and her chin resting comfortably on them. Ginny could not help but like Grace,. Even though Grace was remarkably beautiful, she did not find herself threatened by the centaur. That might just have been because Grace was a centaur, but Ginny honestly did not believe she would have felt threatened by her, even if she was just a normal human girl.

"They've been discussing boys since the Weasleys and Neville went off to play Quidditch," Grace supplied as Ginny looked at her.

"Not exactly," objected Hermione. "We were talking about love."

"But mostly boys," added Nymphadora, winking at Ginny.

Grace sighed, looking at Ginny with an expression that was a perfect mix of pain and frustration. Ginny could not help but laugh at Grace's reaction. Ginny knew that Grace had recently lost her betrothed, a centaur named Firenze, only a few months ago. He had been fighting a crazed teacher and been killed in the process of saving Harry's life. She rarely spoke of it, but Ginny knew that Grace was still in pain over it. What possessed her to sit and listen to giggling girls talk about love and boys was beyond Ginny.

"Tonks was telling us all about the young man she likes," Hermione informed Ginny.

Ginny tried not to look interested as she leaned forward to get the details. Secretly she was thrilled that Nymphadora liked someone because that meant she would not be chasing after Harry. That thought alone gave Ginny hope, which fanned the flame that was Ginny's raging crush on Harry. The very idea that Nymphadora was not interested in Harry brightened Ginny's whole outlook on life and on Nymphadora in general.

"There's not a lot to tell, really," mumbled Nymphadora looking embarrassed. "I don't even think he sees me as a woman. In fact I think he just sees me as someone that spends time here occasionally."

Ginny felt her heart stop for a moment when she heard Nymphadora speak, but she forced herself to ask the question she feared asking. "So you're in love with someone here and they don't notice you?"

"Yeah," Nymphadora replied glumly. "He's got a lot of growing up to do, but I can wait."

Ginny's entire world crashed down around her as the words sunk in. Suddenly her stomach was rolling. She knew if she did not get away from the three women, she was going to make a complete fool out of herself. Panic filled her mind, as she hurriedly tried to think of a way she could get away from them. It was only a miracle that saved her.

"Ginny!" her mother suddenly called.

"Coming, mum!" she called back, jumping to her feet. "Got to go."

Running as fast as she could, Ginny streaked towards the house before the others could see her burst into tears. If she had waited a moment longer, she would have heard Nymphadora complain that Remus Lupin was the most immature man she had ever met; but Ginny never got the chance to hear that. Instead she felt as if she had been hit in the stomach and all she wanted to do was run away.

"_So it is true,"_ she thought as she ran. _"She is in love with Harry, and she's just waiting for him to get older before she tells him."_

Bursting through the kitchen door, Ginny ran right past her mother and headed towards the bathroom. Slamming the door behind her, she collapsed on the cold tile floor and wept. Her life seemed to be crumbling around her and there seemed to be no way out of it. There was no way she could stay and watch as Nymphadora pursued Harry. She liked Harry too much to watch as he realized what the older girl was doing. It was better to leave and return home with her mother. The only thing was convincing her mother to take her home without having to tell her all about what was going on.

There was a gentle knock on the door and her mother's voice from the other side. "Ginny? Are you all right, dear?"

Thinking quickly, Ginny decided on a plan that would not require her to tell her mother anything, but would get her out of Harry's home almost immediately. "I'm not feeling well, mummy. My stomach hurts and I feel a bit lightheaded."

Mrs. Weasley immediately stepped into the room and into the role of mother. She knelt down next to her daughter and felt Ginny's forehead, which Ginny hoped felt hot to the touch after running to the house. Ginny was thinking fast now. If there was one thing she knew she could always count on, then it was her mother's almost insane need to care for and protect her children.

"Well, you are feeling a bit warm," Mrs. Weasley murmured. "You also look a bit flushed right now, but that could be from the running. I don't know. If you aren't feeling well, then maybe you should come home with me for the night so I can keep an eye on you. You've probably caught a cold from all that foolishness with the water balloons."

"Do I really have to, mum?" Ginny whined, trying not to sound as if that was exactly what she wanted.

"Yes," sighed Mrs. Weasley. "I think it's for the best that you come home tonight. If we stop this cold now with a good old Pepper-Up Potion and some sleep, you can come back tomorrow or at the very least by Harry's birthday party."

"Okay, Mummy," Ginny whimpered pathetically, but she was actually rather pleased by the outcome. "If you really think it's for the best."

"Good," nodded her mother, who stood and turned to leave. "You go pack your things and I'll let Mr. Lupin know that you're coming home with me."

Ginny nodded, watching her mother leave before letting her tears flow. It took Ginny a few moments to collect herself enough to leave the bathroom, and make a mad dash up to her room so that no one could see her red and puffy eyes. Slamming the door behind her, Ginny started grabbing her things and throwing them into the battered old trunk that her parents had gotten for her earlier that summer. At the time her father had brought it home, Ginny had loved everything about the trunk. The old battered and filthy trunk had represented the end of Ginny's childhood and the beginning of her adulthood, or at least that's what she had dreamed. Things had not turned out exactly as she had imagined it would.

"_I thought Harry liked me the same way I like him," _Ginny thought as she tossed the last of her things in the trunk and closed the lid. _"Was it only as a little friend? Am I just Ron's little sister to him, and nothing more?"_

Ginny's thoughts, chaotic and filled with a powerless rage, rolled around inside her head like storm clouds blotting out the light of reason. She would have to admit that she had a temper that rivaled her mother's, which made her brothers' seem like pale imitations; but at that moment it did not occur to her that she might be exaggerating the situation. All Ginny could see was her imagined betrayal at the hands of Harry, even though a small voice in the back of her mind kept reminding her that she had absolutely no proof that he had done anything wrong. In fact, she did not even really know if there was anything going on at all, other than her own out of control emotions.

Her tears now dry, Ginny waited for her mother to return. The more reasonable portion of her mind was slowly calming the more volatile portion down. It kept reminding her that she was jumping to conclusions of which she had no proof. She had, after all, been writing to Harry for a year. He had only very rarely ever mentioned his cousin and had never mentioned anything about liking anyone. In fact, Ginny had always had the impression that Harry felt the same way about her that she felt about him. So why did she suddenly think his feelings had changed? The answer was, there was no reason at all.

"I'm just being foolish," she whispered to herself. "I've only just met Nymphadora. How can I even think these things about her or about Harry?"

Almost in answer to her questions, Ginny suddenly heard Nymphadora's words from earlier. "He's got some growing up to do, but I can wait."

Those words, remembered so clearly from that afternoon, crushed Ginny's already fragile spirit. Thoughts of how hopeless it would be to try and compete against someone as beautiful as Nymphadora filled Ginny's mind again. The anger that had been cooling inside her heart now flared up again at the memory. Ginny felt her eyes misting up again. She hated that she was always crying about things, but she figured having her heart broken might be a valid reason to cry. So it was, eyes filled with tears, Ginny missed another set of large green eyes as they watched her from under the bed that Hermione used. They were sad looking eyes, but were filled with determination.

"Ginny?" called a soft voice from the doorway. "Can I come in?"

Wiping her tears away, Ginny once again hid her emotions behind a smile before turning towards the door. Hermione was standing there, peeking in through a crack in the door. She looked worried as she slowly opened the door to peep in. With a nod from Ginny, the bushy brown haired girl stepped quietly into the room and closed the door behind her. There was a strangely loud crack as she sat down on her bed, but neither girl paid it any attention considering how old the beds looked.

"Are you alright?" asked Hermione. "I overheard your mother saying you were going home with her because you weren't feeling well. I hope it's not something we said."

Ginny thought hard about how to answer Hermione's question before speaking. "You didn't say anything to upset me, Hermione. I'm just not feeling well and Mum thinks it might be best if I go home with her tonight."

Nothing she had said was actually a lie or at least that was what she told herself. Hermione had not been the one, whose words had upset her, that had been Nymphadora. It was also true that she did not feel well, though that was more emotional than physical. Ginny rationalized it all as she sat there looking at Hermione with a fake smile on her lips. Sure, she had misled her mum, but it was her mother's overprotective nature that had led to her wanting to take Ginny home. So, no, Ginny had not lied, but she had not told the truth either.

"That's a relief," Hermione sighed. "I mean, I'm sorry you're not feeling well. I really wish you weren't leaving, but I was so afraid I had said or done something to upset you. Silly, I know, but I don't like to see my friends hurt. Still, if your mum thinks it's best for you to go home and get some rest, I guess it is."

"Thank you, Hermione," Ginny smiled but secretly she thought, "_You always think adults know best."_

"And you'll be back in no time," continued Hermione. "When you get back, we'll be able to celebrate Harry's birthday. Tonks said she'll show us all the clothes she got while in Auror training. The way she describes her dress robes, oh they just sound so wonderful!"

Ginny had tuned out Hermione's words after the sound of Nymphadora's name. So Hermione had already fallen under the older girl's influence. Ginny could not understand why Hermione could not see what a manipulative person Harry's cousin was. All these things rushed through Ginny's mind as Hermione continued to talk, but Ginny was not paying attention to the older girl's words. She just nodded and giggled occasionally, depending on Hermione's expression and tone. Her real thoughts and emotions were tightly sealed behind a mask that she hoped no one could see through.

Ginny found it hard to believe how relieved she was when her mother finally returned and helped Ginny carry her trunk down to the fireplace in the kitchen. Ginny hugged Hermione half-heartedly before taking a pinch of green powder and throwing it into the flames. Calling out the name of the Burrow, Ginny stepped into the emerald fire and found herself spinning madly through the magic of the Floo network. Grate after grate sped by until she saw the familiar scene of her kitchen just ahead of her. With a sudden lurch, Ginny found herself standing in the kitchen at the Burrow and she could not have been happier. When her mother followed a moment later, Ginny tried to make her escape, but Mrs. Weasley insisted on giving her a Pepperup Potion before letting her get away. Twenty minutes later, smoke rolling out of her ears, Ginny ran up to her room and closed the door behind her.

For a long time after that Ginny just lay on her bed, sobbing into her pillow and occasionally punching the innocent thing. When she finally cried herself to sleep, it was a troubled sleep that was filled with nightmares in which Harry and his cousin were laughing at Ginny. It was a blessing when she finally sank so deep into sleep that the dreams could no longer touch her. That was how her mother found Ginny several hours later.

Molly Weasley was not a foolish woman by any means. Raising eight Weasleys, if you included her husband, had taught her how to see things that others might normally miss. So as much as her daughter might think she had fooled her, Molly was not unaware that her daughter had a massive crush on Harry Potter. Secretly she hoped that someday they would fall in love and marry, as they made such a cute couple. Still, she thought they were a few years too young for a serious relationship, even if she could see in Harry's eyes the fact that he already had feelings for her daughter. In fact, the way they looked at each other sometimes reminded Molly of exactly the way she had looked when she had first met her husband.

She was also not foolish enough to think her daughter had really been sick at Harry's house. If her motherly instincts were right, and they usually were, then Ginny had been upset by something and just needed some time to herself in order to sort it out. What it was that had upset Ginny was uncertain, but it was obvious that it had something to do with Harry. She did not actually think he had done anything to Ginny, but the two of them had been inseparable since meeting everyone at King's Cross Station. It only made sense that if Ginny wanted to get away from him, then Harry was at the heart of the problem.

Many things had happened that first day of summer vacation. Not the least of which was Harry's emotional breakdown and the way in which only her little girl had been able to help him. Molly realized then that the two of them had grown much closer while writing to each other than she had originally thought. It had been shocking to see the raw power of the bond they seemed to share a bond that she had rarely even seen in adult married couples, outside of her own bond with her husband. In a way it warmed her heart and yet it also scared her.

_The poor boy has had such a hard life,_ she thought, remembering all that Harry's uncles had told her about the boy's life. _"First he lost his parents, then a favorite teacher, and there is still so much for him to do."_

It had been something of a shock when Professor Dumbledore had contacted them about Ron's injuries at school the previous year. It was even worse when she heard a teacher had died saving poor Harry's life from yet another teacher's attempt to kill the poor boy. Professor Dumbledore had not told the Weasleys anything about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or the Philosopher's Stone, so they had been understandably worried about the danger Ron had been in. At first Mrs. Weasley had been ready to tell Albus Dumbledore exactly what she thought of his lax security at his school, but then Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had showed up and begged for a chance to talk to her before she did anything rash.

Hearing the two men talk about the situation that Harry had relayed to them through his letters had been an eye opening experience for Molly. As it turned out, there were many things that Professor Dumbledore had never told her about, including attacks on her son and his friends by other students, and a detention in the Forbidden Forrest that still had her wondering what the Headmaster had been thinking. When the two men were done talking, and especially after Ginny had showed her all the letters that Harry had written her about the year's strange events, Molly had decided it was best to talk to Ron before she made any decisions.

Ron had always been the rashest of her sons. His temper and often lack of good judgment led him many times to doing rather foolish things. She had worried that this had been another of those times. Still, there had been something different in his eyes when she finally confronted him at Mr. Black's home that summer. She had asked him to help her clean up the lunch dishes. After a little complaining he had set to helping her. That alone was odd enough since Ronald absolutely hated doing the dishes, but this time he had set about the task without too much griping. It was even more surprising when he started telling her about his year at school without her ever asking him about it.

He spoke quietly but firmly as he recounted the previous year. He left out very few details and would go back to explain anything she asked him about. His story was shocking at times, heartbreaking at other times; but she listened carefully as he told his tale. That was when she realized that Ron was growing from the boy he had been to the man he would become. She had felt pride as Ron continued to speak and wonder that he had grown so much in just a single school year. Admittedly, she had to say that she thought Harry Potter had much to do with her son's sudden maturity.

"I don't want you to think we just ran around looking for trouble, Mum," Ron had finally told her when he reached the end of his story. "We tried to avoid trouble, but it just seemed to chase after us. In the end we even told Professor Snape about Quirrell going after the stone; but when we didn't hear anything after a few hours, we started to worry. In the end, Harry was right. If we had waited any longer, then Quirrell would have gotten the stone. **No one** wanted to avoid what happened more than Harry. **No one** has suffered more for the decisions he made."

Mrs. Weasley, always a mother first, still worried about everything she had learned, but observed her youngest son sitting there calmly and obviously more mature than he had been when he left for school the previous year. It had not taken much for her to realize that Ron truly believed that he and his friends had done the right thing. While she would always worry about him, she was not going to belittle a decision that he felt so strongly about, especially when she secretly agreed with his reasoning. Yes, she was a mother first and foremost; but a long time ago in a time of war, she had been a fighter standing beside her brothers.

"_I can only pray that they never again find themselves in a situation where they are forced to make those types of decisions," _thought Molly as she turned and closed the door to Ginny's room behind her.

When Ginny finally opened her eyes again, she was surprised to see it was early morning with the sun just barely up and a light mist still hanging in the air. She had not realized she was so tired the previous day, but she had to admit that it had been a very emotional day for her. Rolling over onto her back, Ginny stared up at her ceiling and thought about everything that had happened to her the day before. After a good night's sleep, she wondered now if her reactions had not been just a tiny bit blown out of proportion. In fact, if she wanted to be completely honest about it, she was pretty sure that was exactly what it had been. Rolling off her bed and noticing she was still wearing her clothes from the previous day, Ginny decided a nice hot bath and some fresh clothes were in order.

"_Then I'll write to Harry and apologize for being such a complete git yesterday_, she thought as she dug through her dresser for something to wear.

Settling on a pair of jeans, a royal blue t-shirt, and a white Alice band, she made her way to the bathroom. For some reason, hot baths always seemed to help Ginny to get the day off to a good start. There was just something to be said for hot steam first thing in the morning to wake you up and clear your mind. It also gave her time to think and to figure out what she wanted to write in her letter to Harry.

By the time she made her way downstairs, everyone else was awake and moving about. "Morning everyone!"

"I see you are feeling better this morning, dear," said her mother as she served Ginny her breakfast.

"I think I just needed a good night's sleep, Mum," Ginny replied with a wide grin.

"Try almost a full day," grunted Percy from behind the book he was reading.

"Hush, Percy," chided Mr. Weasley. "Sometimes we all just need a good long rest to set us right. Much like you did when you asked that nice young girl from the village out and she declined your invitation."

Percy's face suddenly turned a bright shade of red as he began sputtering. Ginny could only giggle at the sight of Percy's predicament, but she realized that her father had once again understood more about what was going on around him than she would have ever thought. That was often the way it was with her father, though he might not always say something at the time. Still, he always seemed to understand more about what was going on with his family than he ever let on.

After breakfast was finished and her father was off to work, Ginny helped her mother clean up the dishes. After a few instructions regarding lunch, Mrs. Weasley was off to Harry's house to check in on the rest of her family. Ginny thought about returning to Harry's with her, but decided against it. She felt she needed a little time to collect her thoughts before returning. It would also give her the chance to finish Harry's birthday present. So, grabbing some things from her room, Ginny headed out to her favorite spot near the Quidditch paddock to write Harry a letter. Arriving at her own private little spot, Ginny sat down in the shade of an old tree, pulled out her things, and began to write.

_**Harry,**_

_**I'm so very sorry for taking off yesterday without saying goodbye. I was feeling rather off and Mum thought it best if I come home until I figured it out. I can't say I minded very much since it was more an illness of the heart than anything else.**_

_**I hate to admit it, but I was jealous of your cousin and how close the two of you are. I think it just took me a little while to figure it out. But after knowing each other for so long, how could you not have feelings for each other? I just wished**_

Whatever else Ginny was going to write was temporarily forgotten when she heard a familiar sound of soft wings approaching. Looking up, she saw the snow-white form of Harry's owl Hedwig flying towards her, a roll of parchment fastened to her leg. Just the sight of Harry's beautiful owl was enough to brighten Ginny's day even more.

_No matter what may happen, or how foolish I may act, Harry always understands me,_ thought Ginny as Hedwig landed beside her.

Hedwig offered her leg to Ginny so she could remove the scroll. Ginny untied it happily and stroked the owl's soft feathers. She noticed that Hedwig's feathers, normally so neat and clean, were ruffled and smudged with dirt in a few places. As she examined Hedwig, Ginny could only wonder what could have the power to interfere with the magic of a owl.

"Bad weather, Hedwig?" asked Ginny. Surprisingly Hedwig shook her head as if to say that weather had not been the cause of her condition.

Ginny wondered about that as she unrolled the letter from Harry. It was a much shorter letter than Harry usually wrote, much shorter and there seemed to be something strange about the parchment it was written on. The parchment, unlike the type that Harry normally used which was very soft and smooth, seemed rather lumpy with odd swirling patterns covering the surface of it. Ginny thought she would have had a hard time writing on such an uneven surface, but there was Harry's untidy scrawl before her. Soon however, Ginny forgot all about the parchment.

_**Ginny,**_

_**How could you leave when I need you the most? I can't believe you would do that to me. **_

_**It just proves that you really don't care about me as much as you say you do.**_

_**Tonks was right about you, you have just been acting like my friend because I'm famous.**_

_**I don't want you to come to my birthday party and I don't want to see you again.**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny was completely and utterly crushed; her heart broke and turned to ice as she finished reading Harry's letter. All of her hopes and dreams, not to mention the crush that she had long harbored for Harry, all of them were ashes in her chest. Crumpling up the parchment, Ginny felt a surge of magic in her hand. She tossed the now smoking letter from Harry as far away from her as she could and then gathered her things to run crying towards her house and ultimately her room.

If she had waited a moment longer, she would have seen the crumpled piece of parchment suddenly flash and undergo a startling change. Like some strange plant that needed heat and smoke to grow, the parchment suddenly smoothed itself out and began to stretch and blur. Moment by moment, more words were revealed on the surface of the letter. Words that Ginny would have dearly loved to have read if she had only known.

_**Ginny,**_

_**How are you feeling? I was so worried when I heard you were feeling sick. Remus said you could possibly come back before my party, but your mum thought it best if you leave with her until you felt better. I hope when you do return that I can maybe talk to you about how much I need you. I know it sounds silly, but you are the most understanding person I know. You believe me, don't you? I can't believe I was thinking of running away until you talked me out of it. I just don't know what I would do without you, but I do know that you mean the world to me. **_

_**It wasn't the same after you left. Fred and George tried to prank Grace, but she caught them in the act. That just proves she is sharper than they think and that she is ready to take them on any time she feels like it. I mean you really don't want to see her mad if you care about your health. As for me, I'm staying on her good side as much as possible and you would too if you knew what was good for you. However, it was really funny to hear them say she was better at pranking than they are. I mean you just do not know how funny it was to watch as she was forcing them to say it.**_

_**Tonks was supposed to stay the rest of the summer, or at least until right after my birthday party, but she had to return to her Auror classes. I guess they have some special training about dealing with Muggles this summer and she couldn't get out of it. She told me to tell you good bye and that she hopes you have a really good birthday. It's just hard to see her so depressed after she's been acting so cheerful around Remus. I just want to scream at them and make them like each other sometimes, but that's not my job, so I just have to stay out of it. Remus just thinks of her as a friend because she's Sirius' cousin, but I'm betting he really knows how she feels, or I'm not famous.**_

_**I think Hedwig missed carrying letters to you every day. She's been sitting on my shoulder as I write this. So don't be surprised if she waits around for you to reply right away, whether you want to or not. I sometimes think she likes you more than she likes me. Come to think of it, I'm almost positive she does. I don't think she would even come to my birthday party if you weren't there, so you had better get better and be there so I can see my own owl again. I don't want you both to miss it, but for now I've got to go.**_

_**I can't wait to see you again.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Harry**_

_**XOXOXOXOXO**_

Sadly, Ginny never saw the real contents of Harry's letter as it finally caught fire and burned to a fine white ash that was soon scattered on the wind. She also did not see Hedwig scowling murderously at a small nearby shrub before she spread her wings and took off to return to her master. Lastly, Ginny did not see the two tennis ball sized green eyes peer out from that shrub or hear what their owner whispered to himself.

"I is so sorry, Miss Wheezy," sniffled Dobby the house-elf. "He is saying he will protect Harry Potter, but who is protecting Miss Wheezy? Dobby must do what he must."

With a loud crack, Dobby was gone. In her room in the Burrow, Ginny Weasley was tightly curled up on her bed sobbing uncontrollably. The small girl's mind swirled with dark thoughts. When she finally fell asleep, even darker dreams filled her mind. Unbeknownst to her though, a shadowy figure watched the window of her room from the nearby trees. Even his heart, long abused and ignored, could not help but feel sorry for Ginny as she cried that day away.

"_It seems that our all knowing leader overlooked the determination of that foolish house-elf,"_ thought Severus Snape from his vantage point in the shadow of the trees. _"I don't know if he planned it or not, but it seems that her path is set now. Whether we like it or not, we are bound to this path now."_


	4. Chapter 3: The Den

_Hello Everyone!_

_I am going to pass on the long winded note this time and just give my thanks to my two lovely and talented betas, C & J. Without them I would not sound nearly as good as I do._

_Now, go read and review. I love knowing what you think of my story._

_Chris_

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****Chapter 3: The Den**

The morning of August twelfth dawned rainy and cold. As Harry rolled out of bed and looked around his room, he found he did not mind. The weather suited his mood perfectly. In fact, it had ever since he had received Ginny's message asking that he not come to her birthday party. Without any explanation at all, Ginny had declared her hatred for him and her desire never to speak to him again. He had tried sending letters, but Hedwig had returned each time with the letters still attached to her leg and unopened. It had crushed Harry's spirit, and every day since then had seemed that much bleaker.

Pulling on his glasses, Harry threw his legs over the edge of his bed and stumbled to his feet, heading to the bathroom to deal with his morning routine. As he made his way down the hall he paused long enough fto see if Neville was awake yet. Out of all of Harry's guests, only Neville and Grace remained. All of the Weasleys had returned home for Ginny's birthday party, all of them slightly confused that Harry had been uninvited from staying with them for the rest of the summer. Hermione had gone with them for the party, but by now she was with her family and they were on their way to France for a short stay before the new school year. Neville had been the only one to stay, saying that he would rather stay with Harry than try to figure out what was wrong with Ginny.

Grace had also stayed, and from the sound of it would be living at the Den from now on. Sirius and Remus had offered her a home with them after she explained that there were no other male centaurs in her herd. The Hogwarts herd was the only one in England, or Scotland, that had any males even close to her age. Now she was alone, with no hope of finding a mate unless she traveled to the Americas, where there were still herds of wild centaurs living on the western plains. Sirius had promised Grace that if she wanted to, he would personally make the arrangements for her to travel there, but until then she was welcome to stay with them. It had taken some fast talking on his part, but Sirius had eventually managed to convince her that it was a good idea.

"You're part of the family now," Harry had told Grace when he had found out.

"But to go to so much trouble for someone you've just met," Grace had complained. "I just don't understand. Centaurs are supposed to remain apart from the human world. We watch but we do not interfere, yet here I am at your home and your uncles have made me a part of your family. This is not how things are supposed to be."

"It's no worse than dealing with Remus' furry little problem," Harry had answered her. "We just take things as they come, and in this case that means we just add another member to the family. Is that really so bad?"

That had been the end of the discussion, although Grace had spent much of her time recently staring at the stars to try and find her place in them. They rarely saw her during the mornings anymore, but in the afternoons she would join them and try to explain what she was discovering. Harry did not understand most of what she said, but he listened all the same because occasionally she would mention something that sounded like what Mr. Knight had told them about and Harry needed all the information he could get on that topic.

Making his way down to the kitchen after he had cleaned up, Harry found he was the first one up again. Opening the pantry he pulled out the ingredients for a simple breakfast and started in on getting it ready. Before Tonks had left, she had to return to her Auror training, she had often attempted to make breakfast for them. No one actually complained about her cooking, but it was a good thing that Sirius could add bathrooms as needed because they had often needed them. Her heart had been in the right place, but they all agreed it was probably healthier to eat rocks than what she called food. How she had never gotten sick eating her own cooking was a mystery to them all, but her heart had been in the right place. Harry just hoped that some day she would figure out that not everything needed to be fried, and it especially did not needed to be charred black before serving.

As Harry fried some bacon he thought about everything that had happened so far that summer. His life felt as if it were one giant roller coaster that never ended, and never slowed down. What with the events of the previous school year, then his happiness from having Ginny and his friends stay with him, and then Ginny's sudden depature followed shortly after by his friends it just seemed as if he had no control over anything. What was worse, he did not know what had caused Ginny's radical change in attitude towards him. It was all just so confusing to him.

"_And just for laughs I've got Mr. Knight dropping all of his good news on me,"_ he thought sarcastically as he pulled the skillet from the fire. _"I wonder what it's like to just have a normal life?"_

Harry's long conversation with Mr. Knight and his uncle Sirius had undeniably been the turning point of his summer. What had started off as the best summer of his life now seemed like nothing more than the quiet before the storm, and a really nasty storm at that. Although he knew more that had had previously, there were still so many things that he was unsure of. He and Sirius had tried to think of every possible question they could ask Mr. Knight, but in the end they had been unable to really figure out more than he had been able to tell them freely. Now they could only wait for things to happen, and pray that they would be ready when they did.

"_Bloody prophecies,"_ Harry thought bitterly. _"What good is knowing them if you don't know what to do about them?"_

That was the question that repeated in his mind almost as often as wondered what he had done to drive Ginny away. Harry replayed it over and over again, and when he was not thinking about the Prophecy and what he could do about it, he was going over all of his conversations with Ginny. It was so frustrating to know that answers were only one question away, and realizing that you did not know what the right question was. That of course held true for both situations.

Not even Hermione, who had been closest to Ginny other than Harry, had been unable to understand the sudden and drastic change in Harry's former best friend. Promising to find out what she could, Hermione had left for the Burrow with the Weasley boys, but Ginny had refused to even talk if the name Harry Potter was mentioned anywhere near her. Only Ron had come up with an answer, and Harry was starting to think he might be right.

"All women, and especially girls, are completely barking mad," said Ron the night before he returned home. "One minute they are as happy as can be, and the next they are trying to hex you."

Despite several disapproving stares from Hermione and Tonks, Harry had to admit that Ron's explanation was the closest thing to an answer he had. Of course Ron had promised to do his best to find out what had happened to cause Ginny's sudden change, but Harry was not going to hold his breath. At least the other Weasleys still seemed to like Harry, even if they were all finding it a bit tricky to remain Harry's friend when Ginny was evidently throwing temper tantrums each time his name was mentioned. Thankfully Mrs. Weasley, who still came by each day to check on Harry and his uncles, seemed to feel that there was still some hope for their friendship and continually encouraged Harry to keep hoping things worked themselves out.

"It's a difficult time for her," Mrs. Weasley had said just the day before. "She's going away to school for the first time and it's got her a little bit confused. You just keep being her friend and I'm sure she'll come around soon enough."

"I really hope so, Mrs. Weasley," had been Harry's sad response. "I really miss her."

That simple admission of his feelings had earned Harry a hug so tight that even giants would have envied it, but it had not made him feel any better. It was a hard time for him as well, Ginny might be scared about going away to school, but he had lost the one person in his life other than his uncles that he had believed would never leave him. Yes, he still had his friends and family, but Ginny had become his greatest source of comfort since he had met her the year before, and now she was gone.

"What's got you up so early this morning, Harry?" asked Remus from the kitchen door.

Remus looked horrible when harry turned around to look at him. His light brown hair was almost as unruly as Harry's, and it seemed to have even more gray in it than usual. He looked rather rumpled in the t-shirt and black sweats from the Muggle village, but it was the dark circles under his eyes that really worried Harry. The previous night had been one of his "problem" nights, and he never looked good after one of those. Even with his potion, Remus suffered horribly during his monthly transformations. Harry often wondered if there would ever come a time when he would see his uncle free of the curse that had haunted the man for so very long.

"You look completely knackered," Harry chuckled as he poured his uncle a cup of tea.

"Thanks for the compliment," Remus replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "I just love it when my twelve year old nephew points out how rough I look in the morning."

"You're welcome," Harry replied with an innocent grin.

"You wrecked that bloody cage, Remus," called Sirius as he entered the room, wiping his hands on an old and very dirty rag. "It's still in one piece, but that's mostly thanks to the Wolfsbane potion, and not our Muggle welding skills."

"Wolfsbane potion?"

All three men in the kitchen spun around to find Neville standing directly behind Sirius. His face was completely white, and his eyes open so wide that that Harry could not even see the lids anymore. It was obvious that he was terrified, and it was even more obvious of who he was terrified. Remus just cringed as Neville stared at him. Sirius looked apologetically at his friend, but it was too late now. Neither of the adults in the room knew what to do, so Harry decided it was up to him to fix the situation. He poured another cup of steaming hot tea, and walked over to stand in front of Neville.

At first Neville did not even see Harry standing in front of him, his eyes glued on Remus' face. It took Harry holding the cup directly in front of Neville's eyes before the frightened boy reacted to it at all. Slowly his eyes turned to look at Harry, his hands taking the cup even though they were visibly trembling. Harry took it as a good sign when Neville finally closed his eyes and took a deep breath followed by a sip of the tea.

"What's going on, Harry?" he asked Harry in a shaky voice.

"Remus is a werewolf, Neville," answered Harry calmly. "He takes the Wolfbane potion regularly during the full moon, and he is of no danger to anyone. He is cursed, but he is not a monster. I've lived with him all my life and he's never hurt me, or anyone else for that matter."

"How long?" asked Neville, looking at Remus.

"How long have I been a werewolf?" asked Remus in return, to which Neville nodded. "I was younger than you, only five years old when I was attacked. Since then I've tried to live my life as a man, and not as a monster, no matter what anyone else might think about me."

Neville seemed to accept that answer, and then turned to look at Harry. "And you're okay with this?"

"He's my uncle, Neville," smiled Harry. "I love him, and I trust him, despite his furry little problem."

Neville could not help himself, he started laughing at Harry's description of his uncle's curse. Soon they were all sitting around the kitchen table laughing and talking as if nothing had changed at all. Neville quickly adjusted to the news about Remus. He realized that Remus had been a good man before he knew about his curse, and he was still a good man.

"Does anyone else know?" he asked eventually.

"Well we had to tell the Grangers when Hermione came to stay," answered Sirius. "They were understandably concerned at first, but we managed to make them understand that there was nothing to be worried about."

A cough from Remus made Sirius quickly amend his statement. "Well there's nothing to worry about so long as Remus takes his potion, and stays in his cage during the change."

"I don't normally need the cage when I'm on the potion," added Remus. "We just wanted to make sure all of your parents and friends felt safe while they were here, so I'm staying in it as needed."

"Then why did I hear Sirius say that you almost wrecked it?"

Harry could not help but laugh at the sheepish grins that suddenly covered his uncles' faces. "That because these two wankers, and Mr. Weasley, got their hands on a Muggle welding torch and decided to try building a cage on their own rather than just use magic to conjure one. They were quite proud of it, too, but obviously they didn't do as good a job on it as they thought they did."

"So, the Weasleys know, but does my Grandmother?" asked Neville.

"Of course they know," Sirius assured him. "We know them from way back, and they had no worries about your safety. We just didn't tell any of you kids because we didn't want to scare any of you. I guess we didn't do such a bang up job of it, did we. We should probably tell the others since you know now."

"Are you kidding?" Neville said with a mischievous grin. "And ruin all of Hermione's fun as she struggles to figure it out? You're mad, you are."

"Oh he's going to fit in just fine around here," Sirius said with a barking laugh.

The rest of the morning was spent laughing and talking, all of Harry's worries temporarily forgotten as he just enjoyed himself. Neville and Remus seemed to be lost in a conversation about what it meant to be a werewolf. Remus answered every question he was asked by the excited young man, but Harry could not tell which of them was enjoying themselves more. Whatever the case, Harry thought it was a good thing that Remus had one less person he had to keep his secret from. The only dark cloud on Harry's horizon was the knowledge that it was only one secret out of so very many that Harry had to keep to himself.

"_I'll tell them all when I can,"_ thought Harry. _"Hopefully it won't be much longer."_

That afternoon Sirius announced that they would be making a trip to Diagon to pick up Harry and Neville's school things. The boys had thought it would be an exciting trip, but in the end it was fairly uneventful. He and Neville managed to talk Sirius and Remus in to stopping at Quality Quidditch Supplies to look at the newest Nimbus 2001, but Harry liked his better if only for sentimental reasons.

A poster in the window of Flourish & Blotts proclaimed that Gilderoy Lockhart would be there the following day to sign copies of his autobiography. Their poster was dominated by the moving picture of a smiling man. Something about the man's smile seemed wrong to Harry, and he was rather glad that he would not be there to see him. He did not trust anyone that smiled like that. The fact that Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had required they purchase a full set of Lockhart's books did not bode well in Harry's opinion. Several long minutes later, and more than a few barely hidden stares from the customers, and Harry was standing outside waiting for Neville and his uncles. As he stood there waiting for them, Harry was oddly reminded of something that Mr. Knight had said to him.

"It will be hard for me to check in on you this year," Mr. Knight had said. "That doesn't mean that help will not be available to you should you need it. Two of my friends will be there this year. If you need anything, they will know and they will be there for you."

"_Of course he wouldn't tell me who his friends are,"_ Harry thought to himself with a deep sigh. _"With my luck, Lockhart is one of them."_

"Excuse me," said a man's voice, interrupting Harry's thoughts. "I was wondering if you could tell me where the bank is?"

Harry looked round at the man who had spoken to him. He was a kind faced man with mousy brown hair. At his side stood two boys, one looked to be almost Harry's age while the other looked to be several years younger. From their clothes, and the fact that the boys looked captivated by everything around them, Harry assumed they were Muggles. Obviously the older of the two boys would be attending Hogwarts this year and they were just here buying school supplies. Oddly, the older boy looked familiar to Harry. For some reason Harry thought of spinning water and flying when he looked at the boy, but he could not imagine why.

"Just follow the street until you reach a large white building with goblins guarding it," said Harry, pointing in the direction they should go.

"Goblins?" asked the smaller of the two boys. "Really? Are they mean and evil like in the stories?"

"Well they are bankers," laughed Harry. "I don't think they're mean, and they aren't evil. Just be polite to them and they'fll be polite to you."

"Thank you, and I'll remember that," said the man with an honest grin before he and his boys turned in the direction Harry had pointed. "Come on. We've got to hurry if we want to stop and buy film for your camera, Colin."

Harry heard that comment and knew it was familiar to him, but he could not remember why. Once again there was the memory of swirling water and other shadowy faces, but that was all he could remember at the moment. He filed it away to think about later, at the moment he had other things on his mind. Neville and his uncles had just stepped out of the bookstore with their arms loaded down by books and packages. Sirius and Remus were arguing about whether or not to shrink their purchase, or just Banish them to the Den.

"You just want to shrink them because you have lousy aim when it comes to vanishing things," said Remus.

"My aim is just fine," objected Sirius. "I would just hate to drop this load on Grace by mistake."

Sirius had been about to say something else when he suddenly turned a deep red, his teeth grinding together as he looked past Harry. Turning to see what his uncle was looking at, Harry saw three men walking towards them at a quick pace. Harry did not recognize them, but from the way the crowd was moving aside for them he assumed that they must be very important. Of the three of them, the one in the middle looked the least impressive. He was an older man wearing a lime green bowler hat, and wearing a very odd looking pin striped cloak. The other two men were taller and carried about them a sense of power and menace, which Harry recognized as the same attitude that Aurors had about them when they were on duty. Harry looked closer at their faces, rough and hard faces that said they had done cruel things before and were willing to do them again if they needed to.

Looking back at the man between those two hard individuals, Harry instantly distrusted him. Maybe it was the overly friendly expression on his face, or it could have been the fact that he did not seem to notice when he and his companions nearly trampled a small girl. The only reason the girl was not injured was because her mother pulled her away from the three men at the last possible moment. Whatever the reason, Harry instantly disliked anyone that could be so wrapped up in their own little piece of the world that they could miss the harm they were doing around them.

"Sirius!" exclaimed the man as he reached them. "It's so good to see you again. It must be almost five years since I've had the pleasure of your company."

"Minister Fudge," replied Sirius, his voice sounding strained. "It's been six years actually. We spoke at my mother's funeral."

"Yes, a sorry occasion" nodded the Minister of Magic. "It was a great loss to the Wizarding world when she left us."

"She was a bigoted loon," corrected Sirius, shocking Harry with the contempt in his voice. "The Wizarding world is much better off without her and her hatred of Muggles and Muggle-born wizards."

"Well yes," stammered the Minister, but he collected himself quickly. "Time does seem to fly though, and it is so very good to see you again."

Harry watched the two of them as they talked. The Minister was doing his best to be polite to Sirius, but Harry's uncle was barely concealing his obvious dislike of the man. As they spoke, the Minister was continually looking at Harry and Neville as if trying to decide something, but Harry could not have said what it was the Minister was deciding. Finally he focused on Harry when a light breeze blew Harry's hair away from his forehead revealing his lightning bolt shaped scar.

"I say!" the Minister suddenly shouted. "If it isn't Harry Potter! It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, my boy."

The Minister held out his hand to shake Harry's, and not wanting to appear rude, Harry took it and shook it. Suddenly he was blinded by a bright flash of light off to his right. Turning, Harry saw a man with a camera standing on the other side of the street. Sirius quickly pushed Harry behind him and rounded on the Minister.

"What are you playing at, Fudge!" he yelled.

"I assure you I had no idea there was a camera nearby," assured the Minister, but he did nothing from stopping the cameraman from walking away. "It is merely the hazard of being the Minister of Magic. There always seems to be someone following me around wanting to get a picture of me."

"Especially when Harry is involved," said Remus, stepping forward to stand beside Sirius.

The reaction of the two hard looking men at the Minister's sides was startling. The Minister instantly turned pale, his face looking terrified, and he took a step back as his guards moved between him and Harry's uncles. The two men drew their wands, pointing them at Remus as if they thought he would attack them at any moment. Remus just sighed and shook his head at their reaction, but he did not step back or draw his own wand.

"How dare you threaten the Minister, werewolf scum!" snarled the older looking of the two men, but Harry saw that his wand hand was trembling.

"I didn't threaten him," said Remus in a perfectly calm voice. "A fact that these three witnesses would attest to under Veritaserum if required."

"Oh would they now?" asked the younger of the two guards, his voice filled with malice. "And would they do so if they knew the truth about you?"

"Yes, actually we would," said Harry firmly, stepping out from behind his uncles. "Right now, the only people I see threatening anyone are you two. My uncle has done nothing wrong."

"He's a monster!" shrieked Fudge as he continued to back away. "I've said for years that it was too dangerous to leave Harry Potter in the hands of a werewolf! Believe me, I will make them listen to me now!"

Sirius growled and stepped forward to stand in front of Harry again. "Just like you tried the last time, and the time before that? When are you going to learn, Fudge? The Black family name still demands a great deal of respect at the Ministry."

"My Gran might have something to say about it as well," added Neville as he walked around Sirius to face the Minister.

"And what makes you think I care what some little urchin's grandmother has to say about anything?" scoffed Fudge, his courage returning with his distance from Remus.

"You may have heard of my family, Minister," Neville said, his voice filled with nothing but contempt. "You see, the name of Longbottom also carries a lot of weight around the Ministry, what with my Gran, Augusta Longbottom, being on first name basis with almost every member of the Wizengamot."

What little color that had been trying to return to Fudge's face vanished at the name of Neville's grandmother. In fact, truth be told, he looked more afraid of Augusta Longbottom than he did of Remus. With a hissed command for them to follow, Fudge nearly ran back the way he had originally come from. His two guards followed after him, occasionally bumping in to people, that they did not seem to even notice.

"Neville, that was absolutely perfect," laughed Sirius. "Fudge is terrified of your grandmother. She threatened to turn him in to a toad if he ever crossed her again, and he's been doing his best not to cross her ever since."

Neville nodded, looking a bit nervous now that things were calming down. "She can be a bit scary when she wants to be."

"Why does the Minister want to take me away from you?" Harry asked, looking directly at Sirius.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look before Sirius finally sighed and answered. "Fudge has been trying to use the excuse that having you live with a werewolf is too dangerous in order to try and have you removed from my guardianship. I doubt he really cares one bit about your actual safety, but he'll use anything he can to get control of you."

"He wants you made a ward of the Ministry of Magic," continued Remus. "That way he can use you as a mascot for the Ministry, and more to the point, his administration. By having "The-Boy-Who-Lived" as his personal public relations pot of gold he could ensure his continued control at the Ministry."

Harry thought about that for a little while, realizing that it made perfect sense. In the short time he had been aware of his fame in the Wizarding community, Harry had come to realize that everyone wanted to control him. That was probably why Albus Dumbledore had wanted so badly for him to be hidden away, so that he could control Harry's actions. Fudge's behavior just proved that there were others out there that thought the same way.

"So, Fudge is not a good Minister of Magic then?" he asked.

"Well, my Gran thinks he's an arse," answered Neville. "She's never liked him, but no one else seems to want the job."

"Neville is right," agreed Sirius. "They originally wanted Dumbledore to be Minister, but he turned them down flat. Some say he was too dedicated to Hogwarts to ever leave it. Personally I think he just enjoys pulling the strings from behind the scenes. It's a well known fact that Fudge regularly sends owls to Dumbledore to get his opinions on what the Minister is doing right or wrong."

"If he's not doing a good job, though, then why doesn't someone run against him?" asked Harry.

"Like Neville told you," replied Remus. "No one else seems to want the job, so he just keeps getting elected."

Harry thought about what his uncles had said. As they continued their shopping, Harry kept thinking about everything that had been said. It bothered him that the Wizarding community of England seemed content to allow Fudge to keep his job. Looking around at Diagon Alley, Harry wondered how much of the archaic attitudes of the Wizarding world was thanks to people like Fudge. The same attitude that allowed men like him to stay in power was also the attitude that left them all living in the past as the rest of the world passed them by. Time and again he had seen examples of this, and it worried him a great deal.

While the Muggle world seemed to constantly advance around them, the Wizarding world fell further and further behind. Harry could only wonder if there would eventually come a time when the Muggles finally discovered that magic was real. What would they think to find witches and wizards still living amongst them? More importantly, what would the Muggles think when they realized how far behind them the magical world really was?"

"_Will they see us as savages that need to be helped," _Harry thought to himself._ "Or worse still, will they see us as savages that much be eliminated?"_

When their shopping was done, and after a short trip in to Muggle London to by Harry some new clothes, the four of them used the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron to return home. Harry and Neville quickly carried their things upstairs before hurrying back downstairs. Mrs. Weasley had just arrived with a large pot of freshly made French onion soup, Sirius' favorite.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry as they walked in to the kitchen. "That smells wonderful."

"Thank you, Harry dear," smiled the Weasley matriarch, enfolding him in one of her famous hugs.. "I swear, every time I see you boys you look taller. Between you and Ron, I'm not sure which of you boys will outgrow your robes first."

Neville was also tightly hugged by Mrs. Weasley. Neville blushed furiously at the attention. Harry suspected that Neville's grandmother, although she loved him dearly, was not the type to hug people very often. Mrs. Weasley on the other hand seemed to hug everyone, as often as the opportunity presented itself.

"What have you boys been up to today?" she asked, turning back to the stove where the pot of soup was gently steaming.

"We went shopping for our school supplies this morning," answered Harry as he took his usual seat at the kitchen table.

"That and we had a little conversation with the Minister of Magic," added Neville as he sat down next to Harry.

Mrs. Weasley stiffened for a moment, and then began stirring the soup. "That must have been very exciting for you boys."

"Oh I'll say it was," snorted Neville. "Between his guards trying to attack Remus and him threatening to take Harry away from Sirius, it was very exciting."

Harry almost laughed when Mrs. Weasley dropped the ladle she was using to stir the soup with in to the pot. She pulled out her wand and giving it a simple wave over the pot, the spoon was stirring the soup on its own. Turning away from the stove, Mrs. Weasley took a seat across from the boys. She looked thoughtful as she looked at them each in turn, then she took a deep breath.

"Neville, dear," she began. "I'm sure he isn't trying to take Harry away from his home, or his uncles."

"Actually, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry softly. "I think that's exactly what he wants to do. He accused Remus of being dangerous, then he threatened to turn it over to the Ministry so they could take me away from Sirius."

Mrs. Weasley looked down at her hands which were clasped on the table in front of her. "Your uncle Remus is unique in this world, harry. I'm sorry to say that many people in our world are friend by what they don't understand. I hope you know what I'm talking about."

"It's ok, Mrs. Weasley," said Neville with a grin. "I know Remus is a werewolf, and I'm not afraid of him because of it. If my Gran trusts him, then I trust him. Besides, Harry would have never have invited me to stay with him if Remus was really dangerous."

"I'm glad to hear that, Neville," Mrs. Weasley said with a grin. "When Sirius told Arthur and I that Harry had invited you all to stay, we all got together to talk about it. Of course, Arthur and I have known your uncles for years, what with Sirius working at the Ministry, so we had no worries about your safety. Even your grandmother, Neville, thought it was perfectly safe. Only Hermione's parents, being Muggle and all, were concerned about it. Remus was able to convince them that he would never allow her to be hurt, and he gave his word he would lock himself away during the full moon."

"We know you didn't want us to be afraid so you didn't tell us," Neville finished for her. "I heard them talking about it this morning. I'll admit, I was rather scared at first, but then I realized that Harry would never have invited us if it was in the least bit dangerous."

Harry nodded in agreement. "I never would have, Neville. I love Remus dearly, but even I have to admit that it would be so much easier if he was a poof and not a werewolf."

Even Mrs. Weasley had to chuckle at that thought, but Harry had other questions he wanted answered. "What I really want to know is why the Minister wants me as his puppet? Is it really because he wants to protect his job, or is there more to it?"

"Cornelius was the best that we could get at the time," sighed Mrs. Weasley. "At first he did a wonderful job, though many of us wondered how much of that was due to Cornelius, and how much was thanks to Albus Dumbledore. It was good at first, don't get me wrong, but then things seemed to change."

"What do you mean, Mrs. Weasley?" asked Neville.

"I can't really say," Mrs. Weasley said after a pause. "More to the point, I don't think it's my place to say. This is something I feel it would be better if you asked your uncles about."

Mrs. Weasley refused to say anything more about the Minister of Magic after that. In fact, for quite some time after that, they remained almost completely silent as Mrs. Weasley went back to preparing their evening meal. Eventually Neville wandered outside to talk with Grace, but Harry remained behind. Harry had another problem that he hoped Mrs. Weasley would talk to him about. In fact, ever since he had gotten Ginny's letter telling him to stay away from her, Harry had wanted to talk to her mother. The problem until now was that he had never gotten the chance to speak with her alone until now.

"Mrs. Weasley?" asked Harry, sounding timid and weak to his own ear. "I was wondering how… well… how is Ginny doing?"

Mrs. Weasley turned to face Harry and smiled at him. "I'm not really sure, Harry. On the surface she seems fine, but I can tell she really misses you. When she said you were no longer invited to her birthday party, well, you could have heard a pin drop in the house. I didn't want to ask, and Arthur thought it was best if we didn't meddle, but what happened between you two, Harry?"

"I wish I knew," said Harry, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I wrote her a letter after she went home with you, but the only answer I got in return was to tell me she didn't want me at her party. I tried to send more letters to her, but they all came back unopened."

Mrs. Weasley seemed lost in thought for a moment, but turned and smiled at him again. "I don't know about those other letters, Harry, but if you were to write one up right now, I promise she'll read it this time."

"Really?" exclaimed Harry, his face glowing with excitement. "I'll be right back!"

With a speed that surprised Mrs. Weasley, Harry was gone. Not fifteen minutes later, just as Mrs. Weasley was getting ready to leave, Harry came running back in to the room with two full rolls of parchment tightly clenched in his hand. She could not help but laugh when Harry handed it to her, his face filled with excitement at the thought that Ginny would have to read one of his letters. He genuinely cared for her daughter, and Mrs. Weasley hoped that they could fix whatever was wrong between them.

That evening, after they had eaten Mrs. Weasley's fine soup, Harry was in his room with Sirius. They often sat together in Harry's room talking until it was time for bed. They both hoped that by talking together they might be able to better understand everything that Mr. Knight had told them about the upcoming year, but so far they had failed to make any sense out of it. Each day that passed just convinced them that whatever dark times were on their way, they were ill prepared for it. However, that did not mean they would stop trying to be ready.

"Do you think Fudge is behind the trouble Mr. Knight warned us about?" asked Harry as he paced in front of his window.

Sirius shook his head. "No. Mr. Knight said that the danger came from close to us, and Fudge is anything but close to us."

"Yes, but he also said that the real source was someone working behind the scenes," objected Harry.

"I know, Harry," replied Sirius, running a hand through his hair. "I admit that it could mean Fudge, but it could also mean any number of other people. I wish Mr. Knight had given us more information."

Harry nodded, walking over to sit on his bed. "He answered what he could, but as he told us, there are some things that he couldn't answer no matter how we phrased the questions."

"I wish I knew who had the power to tell King Arthur, a man capable of walking through time like I walk through fog, what he could and couldn't talk about," said Sirius as he stood and walked towards the bedroom door. "I think when we know that, we'll be in a much better position to judge what we are to do next."

"I know," agreed Harry. "I'm still worried about what is to come next."

"I am, too, Harry," Sirius said, opening the door. "It's that thought that keeps me up at night."

Sirius walked out, closing the door behind him, as Harry lay on his bed quietly thinking to himself.

"_It keeps me up as well, Sirius,"_ he thought, rolling over and turning off his bedside lamp. _"I lose almost as much sleep thinking about it as I do thinking about what happened to make Ginny hate me so much."_

Crawling under his covers, harry stared up at his ceiling until his eyes finally closed and he drifted off to sleep. His dreams were filled with shadowy figures and Ginny running from them. In the dream Harry kept calling out to her, but one of the shadowy figures kept whispering something to her that made her run even faster away from Harry. Try as he might, Harry could not make her stop running long enough to listen to him. It was hours later when Harry finally sank deep enough into sleep that he left his dark nightmares behind him. Still his sleep was troubled even then and brought him no real rest. Several hundred miles away, a small girl with brilliant red hair tossed and turned in her sleep as well. Her dreams were just as troubled as Harry's, though for different reasons.


	5. Chapter 4: Trip to Diagon Alley

_Hello, Everyone!_

_Sorry about not posting on Saturday. Real life decided to rear its ugly head. Hopefully you will forgive me after reading this chapter. I think many of your questions will be answered, and many new ones will take their place. LOL._

_About last chapter. Many of you pointed out there numerous spelling errors and errors in grammar. I mistakenly posted the version of the chapter that I originally sent to my betas. I've corrected the errors and made sure I posted the correct one this time._

_Once again, as always, I must thank my betas for putting up with me and making what I write sound better than it started out._

_Now, go read and review or I'll start to think you don't love me anymore. LOL._

_Chris_

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****Chapter 4: Trip to Diagon Alley**

Molly Weasley had grown used to her home being rather chaotic, but the sight that awaited her when she arrived back at the Burrow was probably the strangest she had ever seen in her life. For starters, her entire house seemed to be filled with fluffy pink smoke that absolutely refused to be vanished, no matter what spell she used. To add to the confusion, as if pink smoke was not confusing enough, it sounded as if someone were torturing a cat. The air was filled with a terrible wailing and a horrendous rumble like a herd of elephants was walking through the room. It was enough to drive a sane person mad.

"What in the world is going on in here?" she screamed in an attempt to make herself heard over the noise.

"Mum?" asked Fred's voice from somewhere to her left in the smoke.

"It wasn't us!" shouted George a second later.

Someone bumped into Molly in the smoke, almost causing her to fall over. At first she thought it might have been Ginny, but the figure was too small even for her daughter. She was just about to make a grab at the figure when someone else bumped into her from behind.

"Sorry, Mum," said Ron. "I can't see a blasted thing in all this ruddy smoke."

"Ronald! Watch your language," shouted Molly, laying a hand on her son's shoulder. "Now someone tell me what's going on here!"

"We haven't a clue, Mother," bellowed Percy over the terrible racket. "It began about ten minutes ago. There was a bright flash of light. When we could finally see again, the whole house was filled with this smoke. The wailing started almost immediately after that."

The next half hour was spent by the Weasleys feeling their way through the house, opening the windows in an attempt to get rid of the smoke. In the end, the smoke merely dissipated on its own. Once the smoke was gone, Molly Weasley realized that it was coming from the wireless in the living room. It had been tuned to a Muggle radio station and turned up to full volume. The silence that followed her turning the wireless off was almost as overwhelming as the wailing had been.

"_I don't know how those poor Muggles can listen to that horrible music,"_ thought Molly as she turned to face her sons. "Now someone tell me how this all started."

"It's like Perce said," began Fred. "There was this really bright flash of light."

George nodded and then continued explaining. "And when we could see again, the whole house was filled with pink smoke."

"As far as pranks go, it was brilliant," said Fred.

"But it wasn't one of ours," finished George.

"They're not putting you on, Mum," Ron said from where he was sitting on the couch. "It couldn't have been them. We had just come in from flying when it happened."

"Alright, I believe you boys. I don't know what happened here today, but I do believe you," said Mrs. Weasley as she looked at her sons. "Where is Ginny?"

Percy, who seemed highly put out by the day's events, looked at his mother and sighed. "Ginevra asked for permission to go visit the Lovegoods. She's been gone since shortly after lunch, Mother."

Molly nodded at her son. Looking up at the family clock, she saw that Ginny's hand was pointed at "Visiting a Friend." She also noticed that her husband's hand had just moved from "Work" to "Traveling." Sure enough, with a loud crack from outside, his hand moved to "Home." A moment later she heard the back door open.

"I'm home, Weasleys!"

Just as Molly turned to the sound of her husband's voice, another blinding flash of light filled the room. Suddenly it was as if a voice was whispering in Molly's ear, telling her that nothing strange had happened upon her return home. What was more, it told her that Harry had never given her a letter to deliver to Ginny. In the blinking of an eye, Molly reached down for the parchment that Harry had given her, fighting to remember. The parchment was gone though. In the very moment she realized it was missing, she forgot that it had ever been there. Then the light was gone and Molly could only wonder for a moment why she was standing in the family room.

"Why are all the windows open?" queried Arthur as he entered the room.

Molly was actually wondering the same thing. Looking around the room she tried to remember, but her mind felt thick and slow as if she had just woken up. She was just about to tell Arthur about the way she felt when Ron suddenly spoke up.

"Fred and George accidentally set off a Dungbomb, Dad," said Ron. "Percy cleared it up, but we still had to open the windows to get the smell out of the house."

To Molly, Ron's voice sounded flat and unemotional, not at all like his normal tone of voice. It sounded more as if he was repeating a well-rehearsed speech. Still, even as he spoke, Molly and the others remembered everything he said as if it had really happened. Molly puzzled over this, her mind wanting to fight against the new memories with a voice deep in her mind telling her that something was not right. That thought alone kept her from being upset with the twins, even though Molly knew that under normal circumstance she would be furious with them.

"_This is not right,"_ she thought to herself. _"I don't know why, but I do know that this isn't right."_

"Boys," said Arthur sternly, but he seemed concerned about what he had heard for another reason. "You know the rules about Dungbombs in the house."

Fred looked sheepishly at his father. "It was an accident…"

"We were counting them and it just went off," added George. "It won't happen again."

Not even knowing why she did it, Molly once again patted the empty pocket of her apron, her mind looking for something that was no longer there. She wanted to know what it was that had happened and she did not even know why she felt that way. Molly just kept looking at her sons and her husband. Every moment that passed reminded Molly more and more of a radio comedy. Molly felt confused, her eyes growing wilder with every moment. Arthur noticed his wife's growing anxiety. It was only when he saw tears forming in her eyes that he knew something was wrong.

"Boys," Arthur said to his sons. "Go close the windows upstairs. Your mother and I need to talk."

"Yes, Dad," replied the four red haired boys. The boys said nothing else, running out of the room and up the stairs.

Slipping an arm around his wife's shoulders, Arthur led Molly into the kitchen. Guiding her to kitchen table, Arthur pulled out a chair for his wife, which she quickly sank into. It was only then that Molly realized that she was clutching her wand tightly in her hand. For the life of her, she could not remember even drawing it. Arthur watched his wife as he sat down across from her, drawing his own wand and waving it at the stove to start a kettle boiling for tea.

"Tell me what's wrong, Molly," pleaded Arthur.

Molly Weasley sat her wand down on the table in front of her before wiping the tears from her eyes. "I don't know, Arthur. I know that something is not right. I can feel that something is wrong with Ron's explanation. There's no smell of dung in the house. Besides, if Percy had actually performed magic, then he would have gotten an official warning from the Ministry for using underage magic."

Arthur nodded as he summoned a pair of cups from the cupboard. "He would never do something like that if it meant jeopardizing his future with the Ministry. That boy is nothing if not focused on his drive to work for the Ministry. That and he would have been the one to inform us of the twins doing something wrong, not the one cleaning up after them."

"I know," murmured Molly. "He didn't even gloat when Ron told us what had happened. I love him dearly, but he takes great pride in gloating when the twins make a mistake."

Arthur drew his wand and waved it around the room several times. There was no reaction, except for a slight glow around the teakettle and the cups. The glow seemed to draw Molly's attention, so she walked over to the stove to prepare the tea. As she did, Arthur tried several other spells in the hopes of finding out what might have caused his wife's feeling that something was wrong. More importantly, he hoped that he would find out what was causing his own feelings that things were not as they should be in his home.

"There is no sign of the wards being tampered with," he said finally. "And it seems that the only magic that's been used here recently is on the kettle and cups, which was by me. If Percy really had used magic, there would be some trace of it."

"And Percy would never break the law," added Molly.

"Exactly right," agreed Arthur. "Molly, dear, what do you remember since you got home?"

Molly thought for a time, her eyes continuing to get wilder by the second. "The last thing I remember is being at Harry's to drop off some soup. He and Neville were telling me about their day and how they had met the Minister in Diagon Alley."

"That must have been a very interesting meeting," Arthur said under his breath.

"That's it," Molly said, looking at her husband with panic-filled eyes. "I don't remember anything else after that. At least not until you walked into the living room. I don't even remember how I got home."

Arthur could get nothing more out of his wife after that. She had broken down into hysterical sobbing and crying. Finally, he was forced to cast a sleeping charm on her, just to calm her down. Carrying her to their bedroom and laying her down, Arthur returned to the kitchen. He grabbed the jar of Floo powder from the fireplace mantle and threw a pinch into the flames.

"Hogwarts, Headmaster's office!" he shouted before sticking his head into the flames.

It took a lot to rattle Arthur Weasley, but seeing his wife in hysterics had put him in a rather bad mood. To Arthur's mind, there were only three situations that warranted losing his temper. One was seeing a criminal get away with his crime. The second was anyone harming a child. The third, and most important of the three, was anyone harming his wife or children in any way. This was a clear case of the third situation and he wanted answers.

"Albus!" roared Arthur as soon as his head popped into the Headmaster's fireplace. "Where are you, Albus?"

"He's not here," said the portrait of a warty old man, one of the former Headmasters. "He's gone off to some meeting at the French Ministry of Magic."

"Blast!" Arthur said through gritted teeth. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"We're not his keepers, sir," grunted the portrait of a snobbish looking Headmaster. "Now I will thank you to leave."

Arthur Weasley found himself ejected from his fireplace before he even knew what was happening. He tried calling back several times, but the Floo connection to Hogwarts seemed to have been closed off after his first call. Thinking about it, he tried not to lose his temper any worse than he already had. Arthur knew of only one other man that he trusted as much as he trusted Albus Dumbledore. The problem was, if he revealed what he knew about the man, Arthur could lose his job or worse. His family was worth it though, so he took a pinch of Floo powder and threw it in the fire.

"The Den," he said, not wanting anyone to overhear him.

Stepping into the emerald green flames, Arthur found himself spinning through the Floo network. Within moments, he found himself stepping out into the kitchen of the Den. As luck would have it, the man he was looking for was sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea almost as if he had been waiting for Arthur to arrive. In fact, everyone was sitting around the table drinking tea and laughing. When he suddenly arrived, they all looked up at him with surprised expressions, but seemed happy to see him.

"Arthur," smiled Sirius, standing to welcome him. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I need to speak with you, Sirius," answered Arthur. "In private, if you don't mind. It's very urgent."

Sirius took in the worried expression on Arthur's face and nodded, gesturing towards the hallway door. "Of course, Arthur, right this way."

Together they walked down the hallway towards Sirius' study. Once they stepped inside, Sirius closed and locked the door behind them.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius," began Arthur. "I never would have come to you like this unless it was an emergency."

"What's wrong, Arthur?" asked Sirius as he stepped over to a tray with a bottle of brandy on it. Pouring a glass for each of them, Sirius handed Arthur a glass. "You know you can always come to me for help."

"Thank you, Sirius," said Arthur gratefully. "When I got home a little while ago, I found my entire family in the living room. That's not all that unusual, but they were all acting strangely. When I asked them about it, Ron told me a strange story that did not make very much sense. I asked Molly about it and she told me that she thought something was wrong. It turns out that she cannot remember anything from the time she was here until right after I got home. She became very upset and I had to put a charm on her just to calm her down."

"That is rather disturbing," Sirius said as he took his seat behind his massive oak desk. "However, I don't see why you are telling me this."

"I think someone modified their memories," he said. Then, debating his next words, he continued. "I came to you because I know what you used to do as an Auror and I know who you work for now."

Sirius looked extremely surprised by Arthur's words. "What I have or have not done in the past is not generally known outside the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. As for whom I work for now, I am not at liberty to talk about it. I know you understand this, Arthur."

"I know," agreed Arthur. "Believe me, Sirius, I would never dream of telling anyone else what I know. In fact, I wouldn't even bring this to you now if it wasn't my family, but it is. Please, Sirius, can you help me?"

Arthur Weasley sat in his chair, feeling as if he had just stepped into a hornet's nest as he watched Sirius consider his words. After a minute of silence, Sirius stood and walked over to one of the many bookshelves that lined the room. At first Arthur just thought the man needed to move around to think better, but then Sirius started pressing several of the books. With a loud clicking sound, the bookshelf silently swung outward, revealing several hidden shelves filled with various magical items.

"I find the best way to hide something from wizards is to use Muggle methods," Sirius said in answer to Arthur's puzzled expression. "Most wizards are too convinced of their own superiority to ever consider that someone might use a non-magical means of hiding something."

Reaching up to the highest shelf, Sirius pulled down an old and battered leather satchel. "Although I can't imagine why I would have the need for a hideaway like this, or why I would have the tools inside it to help you, I guess it can't hurt to take a look at your family, Arthur. I just hope you understand, this never happened, right?"

"It never happened," Arthur said with a nod. "You have my most solemn word on that, Sirius."

"Good," Sirius said with a mischievous grin. "Then why don't we see if we can figure out what's going on?"

The two men walked back to the kitchen to use the fireplace to Floo back to the Burrow. They passed Remus in the hallway. Remus gave them a questioning look when he saw the satchel that Sirius was carrying. Sirius just shook his head, receiving a nod of understanding from Remus. Arthur realized that Remus and Harry probably knew the work that Sirius did for the Ministry. They would almost have to with the nature of Sirius' work.

Everyone at the Ministry of Magic knew about the Unspeakables, that most secret of Ministry branches, though no one ever admitted they knew anything about them. In fact, it was against the law to know about them, but this was an emergency. If it had been anyone else other than Sirius, Arthur would have never even dared to approach them with the request. This was not a normal day though. With his family being involved, Arthur was willing to risk it.

He remembered the first time he had heard about the three newest recruits to the Auror force. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and James Potter had been some of the most promising recruits to the force in years. Even "Mad-Eye" had said they were some of the most talented prospects he had ever seen. Unfortunately, Cornelius Fudge had changed the laws regarding half-breeds and Remus had been forced to resign from the Aurors. It seemed foolish in a time of war to deprive the Aurors of such a talented man, but no one had been able to stop it.

Things had gotten bad shortly after that with the Death Eaters attacking innocent families almost daily. James had been forced to go into hiding with his pregnant wife, leaving Sirius as the last of the "Marauders" in the Auror force. Sirius had been assigned to the Obliviator squad, making sure that Muggles who were mixed up in the Death Eater attacks did not remember the magic they had been exposed to. According to his mission reviews, Sirius was very good at his job. His commanding officers always said that Sirius never erased any memory other than the ones he had to. Sirius had just said this was because the mission was like pulling a prank; it was only a good prank if no one got hurt.

Sirius was the golden boy of the Aurors until Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter. Sirius had taken custody of Harry as per their request and he had moved out of London along with Remus. He had requested a transfer from the Obliviator squad. Shortly after that, Sirius was moved to the Research Division of the Ministry. Officially he was helping to research recovering memories from victims of spell damage and improperly cast memory charms. Unofficially, Sirius was working for the Unspeakables, though no one knew exactly what they were doing. No one spoke about what the Unspeakables were up to; but whatever they were doing, it was considered a matter of the utmost importance. So it made perfect sense for Arthur to seek out Sirius. If there was anyone that could help him with his family, then it was Sirius. When they arrived at the Burrow, Arthur knew that his family was in good hands.

Once they reached the Burrow, Sirius wasted no time setting down his satchel and opening it. He started pulling out various delicate looking silver instruments and one extremely large quartz crystal. No sooner had he taken the crystal out of satchel than it turned a deep red color that seemed to pulsate.

"Well that's interesting," murmured Sirius. "Someone used a massive amount of magic here today."

"That's not possible," objected Arthur. "I tested for magic use and came up with nothing."

Sirius shook his head and moved the crystal around the room. "It's not normal magic, Arthur."

"What do you mean?" asked Arthur, feeling more frustrated by the moment.

Sirius shook his head and examined his instruments closely. He had spread them around the kitchen. If there was a reason for why they were spread out in messy fashion they were, Arthur could not understand it. However, Sirius seemed to know what he was doing and he moved around the room from instrument to instrument, taking note of the reaction of each. Some of the delicate looking instruments were spinning while others whistled a little tune. One very energetic device was tap dancing while its neighbor, the tiny statue of a man, was busy writing notes about the other's performance. It was all very strange to Arthur's eyes, but he trusted that Sirius knew what he was doing.

"This wasn't human magic," Sirius finally said, taking a seat and leaning back. "I'm not sure what type of creature was used to do this, but it was definitely not human. That's why you couldn't detect the spells that had been used, because you were looking for a witch or wizard."

"Alright, I understand that part," Arthur said as he sat down across from Sirius. "What I want to know is, was it a memory charm?"

"No way of telling with all this magical residue hanging around," Sirius said with a vague gesture around the room. "It's almost as if someone set off a magical smoke bomb in the house."

"The boys did claim they had set off a Dungbomb in the house today, but I didn't smell anything."

"Dungbombs don't leave behind a magical residue," Sirius said with a laugh. "If they did, Remus and I would still be covered in it from our days at Hogwarts. No, this is something different and I think the only way we're going to figure out what, is by examining your family."

Arthur Weasley nodded and called for his family. Soon the kitchen was filled with redheads, including Ginny, who had returned home while Arthur was at the Den. Arthur went to wake up his wife, reassuring her that everything was going to be all right before leading her to the kitchen. Molly was still rather shaken, but she hid it well to keep the children from worrying about her.

"I know this must all seem a bit confusing," began Sirius once they were all gathered together. "I can't tell you why, at least not yet, but I need you all to step forward one at a time. I'm going to run a few quick tests on each of you. They won't hurt in the slightest and then you can go back to what you were doing. Alright."

The Weasleys each agreed and stepped forward one at a time. Slightly more than an hour later, Sirius and Arthur sat alone in the kitchen once again. Molly had been less than pleased about being asked to leave, but she trusted her husband and knew he would not exclude her from the conversation unless it was important. Oddly, Ginny seemed just as upset about being asked to leave, but Arthur had too many things on his mind to think about his daughter's sense of being left out of the discussion.

"They have all had their memories modified," said Sirius as soon as they were alone. "Ginny is the only one who hasn't, so we can narrow down when it happened to while she was gone. So, if we assume that it happened after Molly got home and before you arrived, then we have a general time frame for when they were charmed."

"But we still have no idea who did it or why," complained Arthur.

"I know, Arthur," agreed Sirius, sounding just as frustrated as Arthur. "It's not a normal memory charm, that much I can say for certain. I'll have to do some research on it and get back to you in the morning."

Arthur wiped a weary hand across his face before looking up at Sirius again. "We're supposed to be taking the kids to Diagon Alley in the morning. We've got to get their school supplies, but I can postpone it if you want?"

"No, that's fine," Sirius said, standing and gathering up all of his instruments. "It's probably best if you keep your schedule so that whoever did this thinks we are unaware of what happened. It will also give me a bit of extra time to work on this. Just come by the Den once you are done. Hopefully by then I'll have some type of answer for you."

"I'll do that then," Arthur said with a relieved expression. "Thank you, Sirius. I know you didn't have to do this for me, but it means a great deal to me that you did it anyway."

"It was no trouble, Arthur," said Sirius, closing his satchel. "What's the use of having well connected friends if you can't ask them for help occasionally?"

"Wish I knew some people like that then," replied Arthur with a wink, which set both men to laughing.

After saying their farewells, Sirius walked out the back door and Apparated away. Needing to collect himself, Arthur walked out to his shed to think. Closing the door to the shed behind him, Arthur walked over to the collection of Muggle pipes he kept in the corner. Making sure no one was looking in through the window, he reached down into the largest of the pipes and pulled out a bottle of Ogden's Finest. Not even bothering with a glass, Arthur took a long swig from the bottle before closing it up again and hiding it back in the pipe.

"_When I find out who's been playing games with my family, I'm going to make them sorry they were ever born,"_ was his only thought as he began cleaning his collection of Muggle plugs.

Back in the house, two figures stepped out of the shadows of the living room, each looking at the other and trying to understand what was going on.

"A memory charm?" asked Ron. "Who would want to make us forget something?"

"And why would Dad ask Sirius to come and help him figure it out?" asked Ginny in return.

"No clue," answered Ron with a shrug. "I'll write Harry and ask if he knows what's going on."

Ginny huffed, turning to storm up the stairs to her room. Ron realized it had been a mistake to mention Harry's name almost as soon as he said it. Any mention of Harry around Ginny would instantly cause her to go silent and storm off to her room. He had tried non-stop to figure out why she was so angry with Harry, but Ginny refused to talk about it. No matter what he tried, Ron could not get her to talk to him about it. All he had accomplished so far was to make Ginny uncomfortable in his presence. If Ron had not been such good friends with Harry and known him so well, he might have thought Harry had done something inappropriate to Ginny. Ron knew better though, because Harry would never do anything to hurt Ginny. If there was one thing that Ron was sure of, it was that Harry saved people, not hurt them.

Walking slowly back up to his room, Ron wondered what he should do. Everything was so confusing, what with Ginny acting strangely and now someone mucking about with their memories. Lying down on his bed, Ron decided he would write to Harry in the morning and tell him everything that had happened.

"Maybe Harry will be able to figure out what's going on around here," murmured Ron.

Suddenly his eyes felt incredibly heavy. Before he knew what was happening, Ron was deep asleep. There was a flash of light and somewhere in his mind, Ron heard a voice telling him to forget everything he had learned that night. A memory of sorting his famous Wizard cards all night suddenly filled his mind, which caused Ron to lose all interest in writing to Harry.

The next morning Ginny woke up and made her way down for breakfast. She had pushed her thoughts of the previous night out of her mind, mostly because she now thought Harry must be involved with them somehow. She was determined that thoughts of Harry would not ruin her big day. This was the day when she would finally be buying her things for Hogwarts, just as all her brothers had so many times before. Only this time it was her turn. It would be bad enough having to see Harry once they reached Hogwarts. She was not going to let him ruin her day now.

Breakfast turned out to be a bit awkward for the Weasleys. Ginny's father seemed distracted by something, while her mother kept looking over her shoulder as if she thought someone was about to sneak upon her from behind. Even her brothers seemed nervous, especially the twins who were unusually quiet that morning. Only Ron seemed unaffected by the previous night's events, although he did keep mumbling about his trading cards.

"Do you all have your book lists?" asked her mother. "We have a lot to do while we're in Diagon Alley, so there's no time to waste on missing lists."

"I don't know about the others, mother," replied Percy. "I have my list, though I am rather concerned that it will be expensive this year. It looks like all five of us have been told to get a full set of Gilderoy Lockhart's books."

"Not a real worry for us," said Fred with a grin.

George nodded and smiled at his mother and father. "Just get a single set for us and we'll share just like we always do."

"That's still four sets of books," Arthur said, looking at his wife. "That should help a bit, boys. Thank you for the suggestion. We can worry about the rest of it later."

"Yes, Father," the Weasley children all said with a smile.

After helping her mother clean up their breakfast dishes, Ginny watched as one after another of her family used the fireplace to Floo to the Leaky Cauldron. Finally it was her turn and Ginny called out her destination as she stepped into the emerald green flames. Floo travel was Ginny's least favorite way to travel. She always felt nauseous when she watched the other grates speeding by. When she finally saw the grate at the Leaky Cauldron, Ginny stepped out beside her family. It took her stomach longer to calm down than the trip itself had taken, but that was the nature of Floo travel.

Ginny had been to Diagon Alley many times before with her parents. Whether it was shopping for school supplies or just running errands, Ginny always found the sights and sounds of the Alley to be exciting. Today was that much more exciting because this was her special trip to Diagon Alley. This was the day when she would begin her trip to adulthood, to join the rest of the Wizarding world as an adult.

Of course, within an hour of her arrival in Diagon Alley, Ginny would have given anything to leave. Not only had her mother embarrassed her by calling her "Ginevra" in front of several strangers, she had also refused to let go of Ginny's hand. In fact, her mother was holding her hand so tightly that Ginny's fingers had long since turned numb.

"_She acts as if at any moment I'm going to be swept away and kidnapped by some Dark wizard," _Ginny thought with a roll of her eyes.

The day was not without its rewards though, at least Ginny considered it to be a reward. Shortly after arriving, Ginny's father had taken her brothers to shop on their own so she and her mother could have some "girl-time." At first her father had been reluctant to leave Ginny and her mother alone, but her mother had insisted so he had finally given in. Now she was alone with her mother. If that meant putting up with numb fingers for something she rarely got the chance to enjoy when her brothers were around, Ginny was fine with that.

"We still need to find you a present," said her mother as they were leaving the second-hand robe shop. "We need to celebrate your starting Hogwarts this year. So what would you like?"

"Do you think I could maybe get a broom?" pleaded Ginny, with a hopeful smile. "It wouldn't have to be anything fancy. Maybe just a Cleansweep?"

Molly Weasley looked as if she had just been slapped when she heard her daughter's request. There were very few times in her life when Molly had been ashamed of the fact that her family was poor. Always before, Molly had told herself that it was more important that they loved each other as a family, not that they had lots of money. However, seeing her daughter looking up at her with such hopeful eyes, Molly realized that, although she loved her children dearly, they deserved more than just second-hand robes and used wands.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny," Molly said with tears in her eyes. "I wish I could get you a broom. But what with buying everyone's school supplies, we just won't have enough left over. I'm sorry, dear."

Ginny felt ashamed of herself for asking for a broom. "No, I'm sorry Mum. I shouldn't have been so selfish. Forget I said anything."

Molly pulled Ginny over to a small bench in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and sat down with her. "Don't you ever feel ashamed for wanting something, Ginny. Your father and I have always done our best to provide for you, even when it meant we had to go without so you could have the things you needed. If you had asked me for a broom any other day, I would have done my best to make sure you got one."

"No, Mum," protested Ginny. "You and Dad have done a great job. It was just a foolish request."

"No it wasn't, Ginny," objected Molly. "It was an honest answer to my question. I just wish it was within my power to make it happen for you today."

"It's ok, Mum," said Ginny, wiping her own tears away. "I know you would get me a broom if you could. How about you just surprise me with something?"

Taking Ginny's hand in hers, Molly stood up and pulled her daughter into her arms, giving her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sure I'll find something you'll love."

They made the short trip down the Alley to Flourish & Blott's, holding hands like two friends rather than mother and daughter. "Look, Ginny, Gilderoy Lockhart is signing his book today."

"Oh, how nice," was all Ginny could think of to say in reply.

It was a well known fact around the Weasley household that Ginny's mum fancied Gilderoy Lockhart. The fact that he was going to be signing his book on the very day that they were there to do their school shopping was probably more than just a coincidence. Add to that the haste with which Ginny's mother was running to get into the long line of giggling witches standing outside the book store, waiting to get his autograph, just added to Ginny's suspicions.

Thirty minutes later they had just moved far enough in the line to enter the store when Fred and George joined them in line. The twins had been looking around the joke shop that was further down Diagon Alley, while Ron and their father had been looking around in Quality Quidditch Supplies. If Ginny could have had her way, she would have rather been with her father looking at brooms. At least she now had her brothers to keep her company, so she was not nearly as bored as she had been before their arrival.

"Boys," said Molly as they finally neared the head of the line. "Why don't you and your sister start gathering up the books we need to get?"

Grateful for an excuse to do something other than stand in line with her mother, Ginny and her brothers quickly began collecting the books on their lists. Ginny soon filled her new cauldron with all her books, but Fred and George had it worse. Within minutes, the twins had their arms full of books, most of which were copies of Gilderoy Lockhart's works. Ginny could not help but laugh as the twins started juggling the books as they moved through the aisles. When they found Percy in one of the darkest and dustiest aisles, he barely even noticed when Fred and George scooped up the pile of school books at his feet.

"What are you reading, Percy?" asked Ginny.

Percy did not even bother to answer. He just held up the book so that Ginny could read the cover. The book, a very old looking leather bound thing, was entitled _The Path to Political Power: A Guide to Getting Ahead at the Ministry of Magic_. Although she thought it sounded dreadfully dull, the look on Percy's face was pure bliss as he read. Ginny just shook her head and turned away from her older brother, but Fred and George had also seen the title.

"I think Percy's in love," Fred whispered in her left ear.

"Sadly, it's with a book," George then added in her right ear.

"Just leave him be," Ginny whispered back to them. "If it makes him happy, then just let him be."

"Yes, Gin-Gin," replied the twins in unison.

Once they had gathered up the four full sets of Gilderoy Lockhart's books, along with all their other school books, Ginny and the twins made their way back to where their mother was waiting for them. She had just finished having her copy of Lockhart's autobiography signed. Ginny glanced over at the man himself with his overly toothy smile and perfect hair, wondering what her mother saw in the man. Looking back at her mother, Ginny saw that Ron was now standing with her but there was still no sign of her father.

"About time you lot got done," said Ron with a playful grin. "I was starting to think you had run off."

"Actually we were trying to sell you to a circus," quipped Fred.

George set his armload of books on the counter before looking sadly at Ron. "They almost paid our price, too."

"But when they heard how much you eat, they had to pass," Ginny added with an innocent smile. "They just couldn't afford to feed you, Ron."

"Be nice, children," chided their mother, walking away from them and up to the counter to pay for all of their books.

"Yes, be nice," drawled a snide voice as soon as their mother was out of earshot. "We wouldn't want people to think you're tacky and tasteless blood traitors."

Ginny spun around to confront the person that had just insulted her family, and came face to face with a pale skinned boy. She instantly disliked him for what he had said about her family, but there was a deeper sense of loathing when she realized who he was. Harry had described the boy so well in his letters to Ginny that she instantly recognized Draco Malfoy. Seeing him in person, Ginny realized he really was every bit the arse that Harry had always said he was.

"Shut it, Malfey!" snarled Ron.

"Yes, Draco," said a tall pale skinned man as he walked up behind Malfoy. "The Weasleys may be forgiven for being rude given their poor breeding, but that does not mean that you should sink to their level."

Having finished paying for their things, Molly walked back to her children. It was obvious from the look on her face that she disliked the tall pale man. Her eyes were filled with suppressed anger, but she remained silent. Ginny knew her mother and knew the look she was giving the strange man was the same look she normally reserved for dirt and filth. It was only when the man reached down into Ginny's cauldron and pulled out one of her books that Molly Weasley finally spoke.

"I'll thank you to give that book back to my daughter, Mr. Malfoy," Molly said with a cold tone of voice.

Mr. Malfoy looked at the book in his hands, opening it and flipping through the pages. When he eventually closed the book, Ginny wondered why he was smiling. He said nothing though and did not seem like he intended to put the book down. In fact, he almost seemed to be taunting Ginny's mother with the fact that he had not put the book down. It was only when Ginny's father walked up to join them that the man let the taunting smile fade from his face.

"Arthur," said the man in a curt voice.

"Lucius," Ginny's father said just as curtly. "I think you have my daughter's book. I would appreciate it if you would return it to her."

Lucius Malfoy turned the book over in his hand and then tossed it into the cauldron at Ginny's feet. "I see being a blood traitor carries no great reward. If it did, you would be able to better provide for your children."

"When are you going to let your foolish notions of blood purity go, Lucius?" Mr. Weasley asked, his tone sad. "I would rather be poor and have the love of my family than to be rich and surrounded by the likes of your pureblood friends."

"That's why you will always be nothing more than you are, Weasley," sneered the older Malfoy, sounding more like his son than a grown man. "Enjoy your book, girl. I hope you learn something from it. Come, Draco. We are done here."

With that, the two Malfoys turned and walked away, leaving Ginny's mother and father standing there looking outraged. Fred and George stood nearby, whispering back and forth in what Ginny knew was a very dangerous manner. Ron on the other hand was standing silently, his face glowing scarlet. Ginny could tell that he was fighting the urge to run after the Malfoys and start a fight. Her father must have realized the same thing because he laid a hand on Ron's shoulder in an attempt to calm him. It seemed to work, but Ron still looked furious.

As they were getting ready to leave the Alley, Ginny walked over to the still whispering twins. "If you two are planning something to put Malfoy in his place, I want in. That little plonker is going to pay for what he and his father said."

"He's in for it now, brother of mine," Fred said with a vicious laugh.

"That he is," agreed George. "He's going to learn to never cross the Weasleys, especially our little Ginny."

The rest of the way back to the Leaky Cauldron, the three Weasley children discussed ways of making Draco Malfoy regret he had ever been a boor. It was not until their mother finally overheard them that they stopped their planning. Ginny played innocent, thinking it best to let it drop until her mother forgot about their planning before she approached her brothers again. She did not forget their plans as she Flooed home though. Still devising ways to make the Malfoy heir pay, she carried her things up to her room to begin packing her trunk.

Carrying her new cauldron with all her things into her room, Ginny closed the door behind her and dumped the lot of it out onto her bed. She started off by dragging the old trunk her father had brought down for her from the attic over to her bed and sorted through her supplies. As she looked through the books and supplies, she discovered a small black book that she did not recognize. It was a rather tattered leather bound book with a date on the cover that was from fifty years ago. Curious, she opened the book and saw that the pages were blank with the exception of one line of text written on the very first page.

_**Property of T.M. Riddle**_

"It's a diary," she murmured to herself. "Mum must have gotten it for me while we were getting our school books."

Walking over to her desk, Ginny picked up a quill and dipped it in her favorite color changing ink. Taking great care not to make a mess of it, Ginny drew a single line through the previous owner's name, wrote her name below it and then added the caption, "Read this and die!" Once she was finished, Ginny admired her handiwork with a smile; but just as she was about to close the book, she saw something strange. What she had just written suddenly seemed to fade away, almost as if the page had sucked the ink into it. She stared at the page thinking that it must not have been her mother that got the book for her but the twins instead.

"They would have thought it a great prank to give me a diary that I could never actually use," she grumbled, but then stopped as writing suddenly appeared on the page in a crisp handwriting that was not her own.

_**Hello, Ginny Weasley**_, read the writing. _**My name is Tom Riddle and I am very pleased to meet you. Could you please tell me how you came to possess my diary?**_

Ginny sat looking at the diary for a moment. There was a small voice in the back of her mind, it sounded very much like her father's, that warned her not to trust an object that could talk back to her. Still, she was very curious about who Tom Riddle was, so she pushed the warning from her thoughts and picked up her quill again. She thought for a moment about what to write before setting set quill to paper to begin.

"Hello, Tom," she said out loud to herself as she wrote. "It's nice to meet you as well. Someone bought your diary for me as a present while we were in Diagon Alley. I start Hogwarts in a few days and they must have thought I would like a diary to keep my thoughts in."

_**Diagon Alley? I wonder how my diary ended up there. No matter though, since you bought it, the diary is yours now. I may even be able to help you at Hogwarts since that is when I wrote this diary. I created it as a lasting memory of my time there and all that I accomplished. **_

"A memory?" she said aloud as she wrote the question. "How can you store a memory in a diary? It sound quite advanced."

_**It is very advanced. If you want, I will someday show you exactly what you have to do to make a diary like this one. It's such a simple thing really, though very few people care to try it these days. I can teach you many things, if you like. I can be your very own private tutor and confidant, and no one need ever know how you learned so much. What do you say?**_

Ginny thought about that for a little while. She liked the idea of having a private tutor at school. Having a confidant she could carry around in her pocket was very appealing as well. Tom could take the place in her life that Harry had left when he betrayed her. So, dipping her quill in ink again, she began to write.

"I think that would be a great idea, Tom," she mumbled to herself as she wrote. "I think we're going to be the best of friends."

_**Oh yes, Ginny. We are going to be the closest of friends. I will teach you many things. Together we will do things at Hogwarts that they will never forget.**_

"That sounds wonderful, Tom," Ginny wrote with a smile. "When do we start?"


	6. Chapter 5: A Hidden Strength

_Hello, everyone!_

_Well another week has passed and I have another chapter ready for you to read. However, there will be one difference this week. Instead of a long Author's Note at the beginning of the chapter, it will be at the end of the chapter this time. You'll understand once you read the whole chapter._

_So, thanks go out to my lovely and talented betas, C & J. Without them I would not be nearly as talented as I think I am. ;)_

_Now, scoot. Go read and review._

_Chris_

* * *

**Chapter 5: A Hidden Strength**

Harry was still half asleep when he climbed into the back seat of Sirius' car. Neville was in much the same shape. Despite all of his uncles' warnings, of which there had been many, Harry and Neville had been up until late in the night talking. It had been a desperate attempt by the two boys to enjoy their last night of freedom. Now in the light of morning, they were paying the price for their fun. The fact that Sirius had a Muggle cassette of the Beatles blaring as they pulled out of the driveway did not bode well for their trip to King's Cross.

"Tell me again why we are driving to King's Cross instead of Apparating or using the Floo?" moaned Harry from the backseat, trying to ignore the loud music. "We could have slept in that way."

Remus reached over to turn down the car's stereo, then looked over his shoulder at the boys. "Sorry, but there is no Floo connection at King's Cross."

"Whose bright idea was that?" grunted Neville.

Sirius and Remus just laughed, but they did leave the music turned down so the boys could catch a little bit of sleep during the drive. With his eyes too heavy to keep open any longer, Harry soon drifted off to sleep. His dreams were a mixture of memories from the last few weeks. Things had been so hectic since their return from Diagon Alley that his nap in the car was first time that his mind had actually been relaxed enough to think about it. As their car neared the outskirts of London, Harry's dreams replayed the events.

It had all started the day of their trip to Diagon Alley and the strange visit by Arthur Weasley that night. Mr. Weasley had looked frantic when he arrived and asked to speak with Sirius in private. After that night, Sirius had been preoccupied by something that seemed to demand his full attention. He had spent most of his time since then either locked away in his study or off somewhere he would not talk about. Harry knew, or at least he thought he knew, that whatever Sirius was doing had something to do with the Weasley family. He just hoped it had nothing to do with Ginny, but Sirius would not tell Harry anything about what he was doing. Even his attempts to get information from Ron had turned up nothing but more questions. Every letter that Harry wrote to Ron was answered with increasingly confused replies.

Then there was the fact that Mrs. Weasley stopped checking up on Harry and his uncles. When Harry wrote asking if his mum was feeling alright, Ron replied by saying she seemed nervous all the time. According to Ron, Mrs. Weasley was even refusing to let her children out of her sight most of the time. It was worrisome, to say the least, but Harry could not figure it out. He had even tried to write Ginny in the hopes that she might know something. He had not had high hopes that she would reply and he had not been disappointed. Once again Hedwig had returned with Harry's letter still attached to her leg.

"_She won't even accept my letter," _Harry had thought then. Nothing since then had changed his mind.

"Wake up, boys," said Sirius as they pulled into the parking lot at King's Cross station. "We're here."

Harry opened his eyes and looked out at the large arched windows of the station. There were people everywhere, even a few that Harry recognized as Hogwarts students. He saw Seamus, his fellow second year Gryffindor classmate, entering the station. Through all the jumble of people, the one thing that Harry did not see was the one face he had hoped would be there. There was no sign of Ginny or any of the Weasleys.

"This summer went by too fast," Neville said as he walked around the car to stand next to Harry.

Harry took his glasses off and rubbed at his tired eyes before nodding and looking back at Neville. "In some ways I think it was too long."

Sirius and Remus, who both seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of pleasure from the discomfort of Harry and Neville, were laughing as they pulled the boys' trunks from the car. Harry thought it was rather funny to watch two highly trained wizards struggle to lift the luggage out of the car's boot, all because they were not allowed to do magic in public where Muggles might see them. Of course, if Harry was allowed to do magic at that moment, Harry probably would have used several spells on his uncles to stop them from laughing. So, unable to hex his uncles, Harry settled for walking over to where several empty luggage trolleys were sitting. His only consolation was "accidentally" running over his uncles' feet.

"Sorry about that," Harry apologized, though it was obvious from the wide grin on his face that he was anything but sorry.

"He would look good with pink hair," growled Sirius.

"Maybe with some blue stripes," said Remus thoughtfully.

Harry rolled his eyes and lifted the trunks onto the trolley before sitting Hedwig's cage on top of them. "Yeah, right."

"What was that, Harry?" asked Sirius.

"He said time is tight," answered Neville, his face a perfect imitation of innocence.

Laughing, the four of them made their way into the station through the throng of people waiting to board various trains. A glance at one of the Muggle clocks confirmed that they only had minutes before the Hogwarts Express left the station. Thankfully they were able to make it to the barrier leading to Platform 9 ¾ without any delays. With a quick glance around, Harry and Neville were through the barrier with Sirius and Remus right behind them.

"Hurry up, boys," urged Remus. "We'll get you loaded up just in time."

"Harry!" called a voice. They turned to see Hermione hanging out a window and waving at them.

"Come on, Harry," said Neville. They quickly made their way over to the car that Hermione was in.

In a burst of effort, Sirius and Remus loaded the trunks into the compartment, letting Harry carry Hedwig's cage. Neville had it easier, what with Trevor safely contained in an old shoe box to prevent the strange toad from trying to escape. No sooner were they done loading the trunks into the compartment than the train whistled the last warning and Harry's uncles had to leap off the train before it began to move.

"Don't forget to write!" shouted Sirius as the train started to pick up speed.

"You, too!" Harry shouted back before they moved around the bend and he lost sight of his uncles.

"I was starting to worry that you were going to miss the train as well," Hermione said from where she was sitting.

"Who missed the train?" asked Neville as he sat down.

"Ron and Ginny," answered Fred from the compartment's doorway.

George followed his brother into the compartment and took a seat next to Harry. "The barrier sealed itself before they got through."

Fred sat down next to Neville and nodded. "We were running a bit late this morning. I forgot my wand."

"And I forgot my Filibuster's Wet-Start No-Heat Fireworks," continued George. "Then we glued Percy to the kitchen floor, so that took a bit of time to sort out."

Fred laughed softly at that before looking at Harry. "Then Ginny forgot her diary. By the time we got everything collected…"

"Including Percy, unfortunately," said George with a rueful grin. "We were actually running very late."

"I've never heard of the barrier sealing itself before," said Hermione, falling into her most analytical tone of voice.

"I've never heard of that happening, either," said Neville with a puzzled look.

"Could it be to keep Muggles out?" asked Harry, playing with the gold ring he wore on his right hand.

Hermione shook her head. "No, the barrier is charmed to prevent Muggles from accidentally stumbling through it. It says in _Hogwarts, A History_ that only Muggles with children attending are able to pass through the barrier."

"And it unsealed itself just in time for you to get through it," said Fred.

"You got here after we did and you got through just fine," added George.

"Well I hope they manage to get to school some other way," said Neville as he stood and put Trevor's cage in the overhead luggage rack.

"Oh, they will," assured Fred.

"When Bill and Charlie were still in school, they missed the train several times," continued George.

Fred chuckled and nodded. "Mum and Dad will just Apparate with them to Hogsmeade. They'll walk up to the school from there."

"Dad doesn't mind," said George with a smile. "Mum on the other hand will give them her standard lecture about missing the train."

The twins proceeded to share with them several funny stories about their older brothers' adventures while they were at Hogwarts. In that manner they managed to pass the first half of their journey to Hogwarts. It was not until the witch that pushed the lunch trolley arrived that they stopped to order food. After eating and sharing several more stories about the twins' older brothers, Fred and George left to go find their friend Lee. Almost as if he had been waiting for the twins to leave, Draco Malfoy, followed by Crabbe and Goyle, opened the compartment's door and stepped in uninvited.

"Well if it isn't Scarhead and his band of losers," sneered the pale skinned boy.

"Sod off, Malfey," replied Neville, not even bothering to look up.

"Watch it, Longbottom," snapped Draco. "You wouldn't want to upset my friend, would you?"

Crabbe and Goyle each cracked their knuckles in an attempt to intimidate Neville. However, Neville was not intimidated. In fact, he was as far from intimidated as it was possible to be. Without ever looking up at the three Slytherin boys, Neville started to laugh which caused Malfoy's face to turn bright red with anger. Hermione was looking rather nervous by this point, which was enough to make Harry act. Standing up, Harry faced Malfoy with a scowl on his face that actually made Malfoy and his cronies take a step back.

"Leave, Malfoy," he said firmly. "You've had your little visit. We're too busy to chat with the likes of you."

"And who is going to make me, Potter?" Draco said, taking a step closer to Harry.

"Actually," said a voice from the passageway. "That would be where we come in."

"So, unless you want to be turned into a rather large and foul smelling toadstool," added another voice.

"You'll take your trained monkeys and leave," said a third voice. "Though being a toadstool might be a step up in intelligence for your friends here."

Looking past the three Slytherin students, Harry saw that Fred and George had returned with their friend Lee Jordan. They were now standing behind Malfoy and his friends looking ready to carry out their threats at the slightest provocation. Malfoy turned to see the three boys behind him and Harry could not help but notice that he had turned even paler than he normally was. For their part, Crabbe and Goyle just looked confused by the arrival of the three older boys, but at least they were smart enough to realize that they were not going to be able to intimidate them.

"Run along now, Malfey," jeered Fred.

"Or we'll be more than happy to repay your previous kindness from Diagon Alley," George finished, his voice sounding colder than Harry had ever heard it before.

Harry watched as Malfoy reached into the pocket of his robes and for a moment he was afraid the Slytherin was going to draw his wand. Instead, Malfoy pulled out a small object that Harry thought was a plain Muggle box of wooden matches. Before Harry could get a better look though, Malfoy motioned for Crabbe and Goyle to move. Without another word, the three boys walked past the twins and Lee Jordan.

"That little brat is a real plonker," said Lee once Malfoy was gone.

"You can say that again," agreed Harry.

"Don't mind if I do, Harry," Lee replied with a grin. "That little brat is a **real** plonker."

The compartment filled with laughter at the joke. Soon Lee and the twins had joined Harry's little group in telling stories about their summer. It was a great deal of fun for everyone. Even Hermione was having a good time despite being the only girl in the compartment. Maybe it was the fact that they were all laughing so loudly that they missed the first screams, but none of them could miss the smell of smoke that suddenly filled the compartment.

"FIRE!" screamed someone from the passageway outside their compartment.

Harry was moving before anyone else in the compartment could even think to move. In fact, Harry was out of the compartment and into the smoke-filled passageway before the first screams had even died away. As he ran, Harry checked each compartment, noticing that the car seemed to be filled mostly with first and second year students. They were all terrified, with many of them crying, but Harry could not deal with that at the moment.

He continued to run towards the source of the smoke. Harry saw the walkway between the two train cars and gasped at the sight. The wooden gangway that connected the two train cars was ablaze and it was spreading. Even as Harry tried to think of what to do next, he could see large chunks of the wood breaking off and falling under the train. The problem was, and Harry hated to admit it, but even as he drew his wand to put the fire out, he realized he did not know any spells that would actually put out the flames. Unless he wanted to try levitating the fire, which he doubted would work, Harry had no idea what to do.

"Out of the way, Harry!" shouted Fred, running up behind Harry with George and the others close behind.

"_Aguamenti!_" bellowed Fred. A moment later, he was joined by George and Lee.

Powerful jets of water shot out from the wands of the three older boys. They methodically put out every trace of the fire. Then for good measure they soaked the area around where the fire had been just to make sure that it did not catch fire again. Soon there was only steaming wreckage and blistered paint visible. Only a small section of the car's boarding platform was still intact, leaving the steel framework of the cars exposed. That was when Harry realized that something was still very wrong.

Many people are under the impression that the Hogwarts Express is a purely magical train, but in fact it is quite the opposite. In reality, with the exception of a few Muggle-Repelling charms and a Heating charm on the engine's boiler, the Hogwarts Express is a purely non-magical train. As such, the couplings that hold the cars together are standard Muggle construction with no added enchantments placed upon them. The heat from the fire, combined with the sudden uneven cooling affected by the water, had caused the steel pins that held the knuckle coupling together to crack. The pins might have held until they reached Hogsmeade Station, but a sudden jolt as the train crested a low hill had jostled the couplings just enough that the weakened pins suddenly failed completely. With a sound like a woman's shriek, the pins shattered. The couplings broke loose, which caused the car that Harry and the others were on to slow down as the rest of the train continued to pull forward at normal speed.

Years later Harry still would not have been able to tell you why he did what he did next, though he would probably admit it was one of the dumbest things he ever did. Without a thought to the danger or the sheer stupidity of what he was doing, Harry pushed past the three stunned older boys. Leaping into the growing gap between the two cars, Harry grabbed hold of a piece of the exposed steel frame of the front car with his left hand. The sheer momentum of the portion of the train that was still attached to the engine began to pull Harry off the car's platform. Harry reached down and wrapped his right arm around the exposed framework of the rear car and strained to hold the cars together. Holding on with all of his might, the air around Harry was filled with a tangible feeling of power and his normally unruly hair stood straight up as if being blown by an unseen wind. Harry slowly pulled the two cars together again until their ruined couplings were almost touching.

"How the hell?" gasped Fred as he watched Harry do the impossible.

"We'll figure it out later," shouted George. "Where's the bloody glue?"

Fred understood immediately. Reaching into his robes, Fred pulled out a small blue glass bottle that contained a glue of their own creation. It was a magical glue the twins had accidentally created in Potions class during their first year and one of the best mistakes they had ever made. Unlike Muggle glues, this glue could be spelled to hold as long as they wanted, and be as strong as they needed, depending on the prank involved. Just that morning they had used it on Percy. Fred was thankful he had put it in his pocket afterwards instead of hiding it back in his trunk. Pulling the stopper out of the bottle, Fred stepped over Harry's straining form and poured the thin bluish white liquid over the ruined coupling. George leapt over the two boys to stand on what was left of the front car's platform, then kneeled down with his wand at the ready to charm the glue.

"Harry!" shouted George. "I'm sorry, mate, but you've got to pull harder! They have to touch!"

By now there was a crowd of students peering out at Harry from behind the twins. They watched as the red faced and straining Harry nodded slowly. With the tendons in his neck standing out, Harry let out a roar that was as much felt by the twins as it was heard while he pulled harder and the two cars slowly came together. When George heard the sharp clang of metal touching metal as the remains of the couplings came together, he reached down with his wand and made quick work of charming the glue to hold.

"Get ready to grab him," said George as he jumped back across the gap.

"Ready," replied Fred.

Just as Harry was about to collapse, all sense of power and strength vanishing from him in an instant, the Weasley twins grabbed hold of him and pulled him up and away from his certain death. They quickly picked Harry up and off the remains of the platform. Carrying him by the feet and shoulders, Fred and George made their way back down the passageway and past the staring students to their compartment. Neville and Hermione had been watching everything from behind the three older boys, but Lee had held them back as Fred and George worked. Now they followed silently behind the twins, both of them looking worried and afraid that Harry might have badly injured himself.

As soon as the twins set Harry down on the compartment's seat, Hermione rushed to Harry's side to begin examining him for injuries. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she examined his hands and arms. It was amazing to Hermione that there was not more damage, but from the look of things Harry had just received a few minor scratches. The others watched as Hermione continued to examine Harry. Several of the first year students were even watching through the windows that looked out onto the passageway.

"Move on you lot," Neville said to the crowd. "We'll let you know what's going on as soon as we know."

"Is he going to be alright?" asked a first year girl with long black hair and violet eyes.

"We'll tell you when we know," said Neville as Fred and George started moving the bystanders from the doorway.

After a few minutes Hermione looked up at Neville. "He seems to be uninjured, though I think Madame Pomfrey should look at him when we reach the school. He seems to just be asleep now. No wonder considering what he just did."

"But that's the question, isn't it?" asked Fred as he and George stepped back into the compartment. "How could he have done it?"

"It was bloody amazing," added George, "but it shouldn't be possible for someone to do something like that."

Neville chuckled as he looked down at Harry's sleeping form. "That's Harry for you. He just does stuff like this. When he needs to, Harry seems to be able to do the impossible. No matter what the risk to himself, Harry acts first and worries about the consequences later."

"That's the problem," murmured Hermione. "He never thinks about himself before he does these things. No matter how foolish it may seem, or how dangerous, Harry just does it without a second thought."

There was a timid knock on the compartment door and they all turned to see the dark haired girl standing outside the compartment door. George slid the door open to ask her what she wanted, but before he could block the way she had slipped past him and into the compartment. She looked pale and nervous as she stood there, but her violet eyes were determined.

"I ran and told the lunch lady what happened," she said with a shaky voice. "She's gone to tell the conductor and I think to contact the school."

"Thank you…" Hermione said, looking questioningly at the girl. "I'm sorry; I don't know your name."

"It's Gwen," said the girl with a shy smile. "Gwen Price. I'm a Muggle-born. He's Harry Potter, isn't he? I read a book about him after I found out I was a witch."

"Looks like Ginny has competition," Fred said in a stage whisper.

"That is, if she doesn't kill Harry first," George said with a rueful grin.

"Hush you two," Hermione admonished the twins. "Yes, he's Harry Potter. Don't believe most of those foolish stories. Harry is so much more than what is in those books."

The young raven haired girl nodded as she stared in awe at Harry, and then looked up at Hermione. "I didn't believe those stories, but I wonder about them now. He really is a hero, isn't he?"

"That's our little Harrykins," joked Fred.

"A hero to the core," agreed George.

"Got a real thing for saving people, he does," added Neville.

Any further conversation was cut off as the conductor and the woman that pushed the lunch trolley knocked on the door. As the conductor talked with Fred and George about the strength of their glue, the trolley lady had a long conversation with Hermione regarding Harry's condition. They left only after they both seemed convinced that no one was in any further danger.

The remainder of their journey to Hogwarts was silent. The five of them sat and just watched Harry as he slept. Gwen, the newest addition to their group, sat between Hermione and Neville with her face positively glowing over the fact that Harry had evidently done the impossible. Even Fred and George sat quietly until their arrival at Hogsmeade. It was only then, as the train slowed for their arrival that Harry finally woke up.

"Harry?" whispered Hermione, worry clear in her voice.

Harry opened his eyes and sat up slowly, looking around the compartment full of people. "Is everyone safe?"

Neville broke the silence after Harry's question with a loud burst of laughing. "Only you would risk life and limb and then ask if everyone else was doing alright."

"You had us so worried, Harry," Hermione said, throwing herself at Harry and hugging him tightly. "We were so worried about you. Promise you'll never do something that foolish again."

Harry hugged his honorary sister back and then looked her straight in the eyes. "I can't promise that, Hermione, and you know it."

"That's our Harry," chuckled Fred.

George nodded and then smiled over at Gwen. "Now you see what we put up with all the time."

Gwen for her part remained absolutely silent, her pale cheeks turning red as Harry looked at her and spoke. "Who are you then?"

"G-Gwen…" stammered the raven haired young girl, finding the hem of her robe very interesting as Harry continued to look at her. "Gwen Price."

Harry smiled at her and stood up to stretch. "Nice to meet you, Gwen Price."

"You better get your robes on, Harry," said Hermione in a strangely bossy tone of voice. "We're already pulling into the station."

Within minutes they were disembarking and Harry found himself standing on the platform of Hogsmeade station surrounded by a mass of awed students. It was only when he climbed into one of the waiting carriages that he was able to escape the stares and whispers of his fellow students. When he was finally alone in the carriage with Hermione and Neville, Harry looked at his friends and spoke.

"I'm really fine, you two," he said in an attempt to make them lighten up. "I'm not hurt and everyone made it to school safely."

"That's not the point, Harry," objected Hermione. "You could have been badly injured, or even killed. Why on Earth did you do something so completely reckless and foolish?"

"She's got a point there, mate," Neville said before Harry could say a word. "The worst that could have happened if the car broke loose was the automatic brakes would have stopped the car. They would have sent someone to pick us up, Harry. You didn't need to risk your life for that."

"You don't know that's all that would have happened," said Harry firmly, his eyes hard and fierce. "There are things going on this year that you don't know about. I couldn't take the risk."

"Like what, Harry?" asked Hermione, leaning forward and looking Harry straight in the eyes. "What don't we know about this year that you do?"

Harry shook his head and looked sadly between his friends. "I can't tell you yet. Mr. Knight made me promise not to tell you until he said it was safe."

Neville started to object, but Harry cut him off. "Don't you think I want to tell you? Trust me, I do. I promise you this, I don't care if Mr. Knight says it's safe or not. If I think you really need to know, then I'm going to tell you right away. For right now though, it's still better if I keep the secret. Can't you just leave it at that for now and trust me to do the right thing?"

Hermione and Neville looked at Harry closely for a few moments before they both nodded to show they would be patient. Harry knew it would put a great deal of strain on his friendship with them, but he had to keep the secret for a little while longer. Mr. Knight had warned Harry that telling them too soon would only put them in unnecessary danger, which Harry could not allow. So he sat there for the rest of the carriage ride up to the school in silence. The only sound to be heard was the sound of the carriage wheels turning as they slowly moved towards the school.

Upon their arrival at the school, Harry had no sooner set his foot down on the ground than Professor McGonagall was at his side and telling him to follow her. The normally stern looking witch seemed extremely agitated as she led Harry away from the other students and into the school. With each step they took, Harry felt more at home in the school as the familiar sights and sounds of the place surrounded him. His mood was only soured when he realized what his final destination was to be, though he thought it was really to be expected given the events of the day.

"_I attract things like this better than a Summoning charm,"_ he thought as they arrived at the doors leading to the Hospital Wing. "I really don't need to see Madame Pomfrey, Professor. Really. I feel fine."

"Thank you for your considered medical opinion, Mr. Potter," said Professor McGonagall with a stern glance down at him. "However, I think we should let Madame Pomfrey give us a second opinion."

Swinging the doors open wide, Harry was led into the hospital wing for what quickly turned out to be the most embarrassing hour of his life. Madame Pomfrey examined him from head to toe, and even fingertip to fingertip with a thoroughness that reminded Harry of a military operation he had seen in a movie once. When she was finally done, Madame Pomfrey sat down on the bed across from Harry and shook her head.

"You must be the luckiest boy I have ever met, Mr. Potter," she said wearily. "By all rights you should have been seriously injured or even killed; yet the only thing I find wrong with you is a few scrapes on your hands and arms. In either case, what you did was very brave, but probably the most monumentally idiotic stunt I've ever seen in all my years at Hogwarts."

"Yes, it was," agreed Harry, causing Madame Pomfrey to stop and look at him with a surprised expression on her face. "I did it without thinking and I got very lucky that it didn't kill me. I would do it again though, even knowing how dangerous it was."

Madame Pomfrey sighed and shook her head. "If I've learned anything about you, Mr. Potter, it's that you will never regret doing what you think is right. I just hope you learn that your life is just as important as everyone else's life before it's too late."

"I have no wish to die, Madame Pomfrey," Harry said softly. "I want to live a long and boring life, if I can."

"And I hope you get the chance, Mr. Potter," said the older woman as she stood up. "Since I can find nothing wrong with you, you are free to go. You may either return to Gryffindor Tower, or if you hurry, you may be able to catch the dessert course down at the welcoming feast."

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey," Harry said with a wave as he left the hospital wing as quickly as possible.

Harry was just in time for the dessert course of the feast. Grabbing a seat between Neville and Ron, Harry grabbed a plate and loaded it full of the most delicious looking treacle pudding that he had ever seen. Ron was in the process of telling everyone about his adventures that day in trying to reach Hogwarts. Evidently the twins had been right and their parents had Apparated with Ron and Ginny to Hogsmeade before walking up to the school. Of course, Ron claimed they had had to fight numerous wards and enchantments to reach the school, but Harry rather doubted it. He was not really paying much attention anyway.

Sitting at the other end of the long Gryffindor table was Ginny talking to the girl Gwen from the train ride. Obviously both girls had been sorted into Gryffindor and Harry could not have been happier to see Ginny's robes now trimmed in red and gold. Ginny looked every bit as pretty as Harry remembered her looking the last time he saw her, maybe even prettier. The problem was that Ginny refused to look in his direction when he waved at her. Instead, the raven haired Gwen waved back at him, obviously thinking he had waved at her. Not knowing what else to do, Harry smiled back at Gwen before turning away to finish his pudding.

Once everyone was done eating and all the plates had cleaned themselves, Professor Dumbledore stood up to address the students. He started off with the standard announcements about the list of banned objects that Argus Filch, the school's caretaker, had been compiling since sometime the previous century. Then the Headmaster reminded everyone that the Forbidden Forest was just that, forbidden. Finally, with a grand gesture to the faculty table, he announced the newest changes in faculty.

"I would like you all to welcome the newest additions to the teaching staff here at Hogwarts," said the old Headmaster with a twinkle in his eye.

Harry's eyes flickered over the faculty table and to the two new faces that he saw sitting there. The most obvious was a blond man with a wide toothy smile and periwinkle blue eyes. Even though he was dressed completely in black, Harry recognized the man as Gilderoy Lockhart. Harry could not help but groan at the sight of Lockhart, but at least now he knew why they had all been required to by the full set of the man's books.

The other new face at the table belonged to an older woman with a warm smile on her face. She looked like the type of woman that people often thought of as motherly. In fact, she reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley for some reason. Something about the woman just made Harry like her immediately, even though he had never met her before.

"This year we are doubly lucky to have two very talented additions to our staff," continued Professor Dumbledore, though Harry saw Professor McGonagall glance at Lockhart with something like contempt on her face. "I would like you to welcome our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart."

There was a short burst of applause, mostly from the female members of the student body. Professor Lockhart nodded and smiled out at the crowd of students. Harry watched the man closely as he smiled out at the students and Harry could not help but wonder if anyone else thought that his smile looked strangely forced. Not only that, but Harry was almost sure that Professor Lockhart was staring at the head of the Gryffindor table, possibly at Ginny.

"_What's that all about?"_ wondered Harry as Dumbledore continued speaking.

"We are also quite fortunate this year to have as our new Potions Mistress a woman with many years of experience in the field," said Dumbledore with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Be nice, Albus," said the woman as if she were scolding a naughty child. "I'll thank you not to make fun of my age."

Several members of the staff actually laughed at the woman's words. Even Dumbledore chuckled, though he looked slightly ashamed of himself.

"Yes, Perenelle," he said like a small child answering his mother. "We are very honored however by your presence here. So, I ask all our students to help me welcome Perenelle Flamel. Some of you may recognize her name, but I ask that you show her the respect due her and not bother her about her amazing history."

Harry was dumbstruck by the news that the motherly looking woman was none other than the wife of Nicolas Flamel, the creator of the very stone that had caused so many problems the year before. Glancing over at his friends, especially Hermione, Harry could see that they had all thought the same thing he had. After all they had been through the previous year, it was unlikely they would ever forget the name Flamel. The fact that the woman was over six hundred years old was merely a side note as far as Harry was concerned. There was the small problem that Harry had assumed Nicolas Flamel and his wife were dead, so seeing her sitting next to Dumbledore with a warm smile on her face seemed strange to Harry.

"_Did Mr. Knight keep the stone for them?"_ wondered Harry. _"Or maybe they had enough of the Elixir of Life stored away to keep them alive longer than I thought."_

Whatever the case, Harry added yet another question to the mental list of questions he needed to ask Mr. Knight when he saw the former monarch next. However, now was not the time to ponder this newest mystery. Dumbledore had just finished his announcements and had dismissed the students to return to their various common rooms. Harry followed suit, standing up to follow his friends from the Great Hall, but a long fingered hand suddenly came down on his shoulder. He knew who that hand belonged to before he even turned to look up into the twinkling eyes that were looking down at him.

"Do you think I could have a word with you in my office, Harry?" asked Dumbledore in his most grandfatherly sounding tone of voice.

"Of course, Professor Dumbledore," Harry said as politely as possible.

For the second time in a single night, Harry followed a Hogwarts professor through the hallways of the great school. As he walked, Harry twisted the gold ring he wore on his right hand. He had not really thought much about the ring since the previous year when Mr. Knight had told him to wear it on his hand. Harry had worn the ring on a chain around his neck for most of his life. According to Mr. Knight, the simple gold ring had provided him with a form of protection that had allowed Harry to lead a normal life as he grew up. Now it seemed to calm him as he twisted it around his finger while following Dumbledore down the hallways towards the Headmaster's office.

Whatever the case, Harry continued to twist the ring around his finger as the stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office slid aside to reveal the moving spiral staircase beyond. Together with the Headmaster, Harry rode up the stairs until they reached the large door with the griffin-shaped doorknob. Dumbledore opened the door and gestured for Harry to enter. Harry walked in and looked around the Headmaster's office. It had not changed since the end of the previous year when Harry had been called to Dumbledore's office several times to talk about Harry's feelings about the death of Severus Snape. Being back in the headmaster's office now, Harry felt all those memories and feelings fighting to overwhelm him again. It was only thoughts of the things Ginny had said to him over the summer that kept him from falling back into those feelings again. Harry pushed the dark memories away and realized that there were three people standing next to the massive fireplace against the far wall. He recognized two of them, but the third was a stranger to Harry.

"Harry!" shouted Sirius as he ran over to Harry and hugged him tightly. "What in God's name were you thinking?"

"I think we would all like to know that, Sirius," said the tall dark skinned man that Sirius had been standing with in a deep booming voice.

"Mr. Potter," said Professor McGonagall as she walked towards Harry with the man. "Let me introduce you to Kingsley Shacklebolt. Mr. Shacklebolt is an Auror with the Ministry of Magic. He has been asked to investigate the fire on the Hogwarts Express today."

"I have a few questions I must ask you, Mr. Potter," said Shacklebolt in a serious tone of voice.

"Kingsley, you can't think that Harry did anything wrong today," growled Sirius, walking around behind Harry and resting his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"No one said he had, Sirius," McGonagall assured Sirius.

Kingsley nodded as Professor McGonagall spoke and then he smiled down at Harry. "I already know you had nothing to do with setting the fire, Mr. Potter. While Madame Pomfrey was examining you for injuries, I spoke with several witnesses. All of them told me the same thing, that you had been sitting with your friends in the last compartment when the fire started."

"Then why do you want to talk to Harry?" asked Sirius, but Harry motioned for his uncle to let him speak.

"I can ask my own questions," Harry said firmly, then looked up at the tall Auror and smiled. "Please, call me Harry, Auror Shacklebolt. I would also ask that you answer my uncle's question."

Kingsley smiled again at Harry and nodded. "Of course, Harry. You can call me Kingsley if you like. I've known your uncle for many years now, so I feel in a way that I know you as well. What I wanted to ask you was about what you saw when you reached the fire. Everyone I've talked to said that you were the first person to reach it."

"Obviously not the first person," Harry replied calmly. "Someone had to start the fire, so they were really the first person there. Still, by the time I reached it, the fire was already starting to spread to the area around the car's boarding platform. There was no one around that I could see at the time, but…"

"But?" asked Dumbledore. "You have some idea as to who might have been the one to start the fire?"

Harry began twisting the ring on his finger again as he thought of how best to express his thoughts. "I don't want to make accusations without proof. All I have right now is a bit of intuition. I would ask first if there was any way of telling whether the fire was started by magic?"

Kingsley shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately not, Harry. There was too much damage to tell for sure and much of the platform and walkway was gone after the damage the fire had caused. It didn't help that the Weasley twins washed away most of what was left when they put out the fire."

"We have asked the heads of house to examine the wands of the students," said Dumbledore as he walked around behind his large claw footed desk and sat down. "However, I fear it will be like searching for a needle in a haystack and probably pointless by now."

"Why pointless?" asked Sirius.

"You should remember your first night back at school," answered Professor McGonagall. "In their delight to be able to use magic again, the students have been using their wands for the most meaningless of spellwork, just for the joy of using them. It would be almost impossible to sort through all the magic to tell which wand, if any, cast the spell that started the fire."

"What's more," continued Kingsley, "the culprit may have used something other than a wand to start the fire."

"I was afraid of that," said Harry. "I did see a boy on the train with what looked like a box of Muggle matches. I only saw it for a moment and it does not prove that he started the fire. It would just be my word against his."

"Maybe not, Harry," Dumbledore said suddenly, his eyes twinkling madly. "What type of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot would I be if I did not keep a Pensieve handy?"

Harry looked up at Sirius for an explanation and Sirius smiled down at him before providing one. "A Pensieve is a fancy bowl, Harry. Only this bowl is used to hold various memories and not soup."

"Do I still look like I'm five years old, Sirius?" Harry said with a sigh. "You said almost that same exact thing about Muggle swimming pools the first time I saw one."

"In this case, Harry, he's fairly close to being right," laughed Dumbledore. "A Pensieve really is a bowl that contains memories. However it is not just a bowl. It can allow one or more people to view those memories and even enter them if need be. He's also right about it not being good to use with soup, though I guess you could give it a try in a pinch."

"See!" shouted Sirius with a boyish look of triumph on his face. "I told you it was like a bowl."

"That's it," said Harry sounding more like an adult than his exuberant uncle. "I'm writing Remus and telling him no more Muggle candy for you until you stop comparing everything to Muggle crockery."

Sirius looked horrified at Harry's threat while everyone else did their best not to laugh. "You wouldn't do that to me, would you Harry?"

Harry looked up at his uncle's pleading expression and sighed. "Fine. I won't write to him this time. Just remember, if I hear one more comparison of anything to so much as a fork, it's no more candy for you. Do I make myself clear?"

Sirius, his head bowed in defeat, nodded and then looked up at his adopted nephew. "I understand. I just thought it was funny, Harry."

"It was funny," said Harry with a wry grin. "At least it was funny the first few times you said it. It's grown a bit thin since then. It's time to get some new material, Sirius."

The other people, and a good number of the portraits on the walls, watched Harry and Sirius as they continued to talk. They all seemed to feel the love and respect for each other that radiated off the two men, especially Minerva McGonagall. Over the years she had worried that Sirius would not be able to curb his fun loving nature enough to raise a small boy. She had always worried that Harry would be surrounded by ridiculous pranks and off color jokes. However here was the proof that her worries had been unfounded. The truth was obvious in the way that Harry and Sirius talked to each other and the way that Harry easily handled his uncle. Clearly Sirius had set a very good example for Harry, which showed in Harry's maturity and confidence.

"_Then again, Remus also lives with them. Harry probably learned how to deal with Sirius from him,"_ she thought with a tight lipped grin.

"I hate to interrupt Sirius' well deserved lecture, Harry," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "However, we really need to see that memory."

Harry nodded. After several minutes of instruction regarding how to extract the required memory, the four adults were standing around the Pensieve. One after another they viewed the memory until they had all seen it. Kingsley was the first to see it and watched it two more times after the others were done. Finally he sat down on a comfortable leather chair that Dumbledore drew out of thin air. Kingsley did not look pleased by what he had seen in Harry's memories.

"Harry's right," said Kingsley, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and staring down at the ground. "It's far from solid proof. Given who the boy's father is, we would need an airtight case against young Mr. Malfoy just to talk to him."

"Quite right," agreed Professor Dumbledore from his desk. "As an underage wizard, you would need his parent's permission to talk to him. It would be different if we had more evidence to go on, but right now we only have Harry's memory of seeing Draco with a box of matches."

Sirius looked at the Headmaster with something like suspicion in his facial expression. "But you could get around all of that if you wanted to, Albus."

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon reading glasses at Sirius, his eyes no longer twinkling as he shook his head. "I could do as you suggest, but anything I would learn in that manner would not be admissible before the Wizengamot."

"And here at Hogwarts?" asked Sirius, still looking intently at Dumbledore.

"That's a different story altogether," Dumbledore assured Sirius. "I will take every step possible to get to the bottom of this."

Harry looked up at his uncle's face and saw the same look of disbelief that he felt. Given Harry's history with the Headmaster, he fully believed that Dumbledore was just going to sweep the whole situation under the proverbial rug. Even Professor McGonagall did not look convinced that Dumbledore was going to take the investigation of the fire seriously. As Harry sat there, Professor McGonagall glanced over at him for just a moment, but it was obvious from the look on her face that she was concerned. However, whatever their concerns were, there was nothing Harry and the others could do about it right at that moment.

"I'll keep in touch," Kingsley said to Sirius a few minutes later before he left.

Sirius just nodded and watched the Auror leave, then turned to the professors. "I'll walk Harry back to the Gryffindor common room, if you don't mind?"

"Of course, Sirius," agreed Professor McGonagall. "Try not to get into too much trouble."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Professor," Sirius replied with a smile and a wink to the stern looking woman.

Harry and Sirius made their way out of the Headmaster's office and through the school to Gryffindor Tower. It was late by now and the castle was dark and quiet as they walked down the ancient hallways. They were halfway to the Gryffindor common room when Sirius pulled Harry into an unused classroom. The look on his uncle's face was a mixture of rage and frustration.

"Whatever you do, Harry, don't trust Dumbledore," Sirius blurted as soon as he closed the door behind them. "He could have the Malfoy boy in front of the Wizengamot in minutes if he really wanted to. Instead he's just sitting in his office twiddling his thumbs."

"You think he's up to something?" asked Harry, sitting down on an old dust covered desktop.

"I'm sure of it," growled Sirius. "The problem is, I don't know what. So, you keep your eyes and ears open. If this is anything to do with what Mr. Knight warned us about, I want to know right away."

"Will do, Sirius."

"I also think you need to tell your friends what we know about this year."

Harry had been sliding off the desk he was sitting on, but stopped and looked up at his uncle. "What about what Mr. Knight warned us of? Putting them in danger by telling them too much too soon?"

Sirius looked Harry right in the eyes. "Weren't they in danger today because they weren't ready? Keeping them in the dark only means they can't see the danger until it's too late. Tell them Harry."

The two of them sat in the empty classroom talking for an hour or more before they finally left and continued on their way to Harry's dormitory. It was late by the time Harry finally said goodbye to his uncle and stepped through the portrait hole to Gryffindor Tower. As he had expected, Hermione, Ron, and Neville were all still up, waiting for him in the empty common room. Harry walked over to where they were sitting and sat down across from them.

"I have a lot to tell you," Harry said looking up at them. "Let me start by saying that we are all in danger this year."

* * *

_Hello again, everyone!_

_Or should I say, hello to everyone that actually finished reading this chapter._

_First off… This series was never intended to be about a super powerful Harry. I am not knocking those stories, and have enjoyed more than one of them myself. However, this is not one of them. There is a reason that Harry can do the things he does, like running faster than a Centaur or holding several tons of moving freight train in place, but you will have to wait until chapter 7 to find out what that reason is._

_Secondly… Most have already figured out that these chapters will for the most part alternate between Harry and Ginny's point of views. In many ways, there are two completely different stories taking place this time around. You'll just have to wait and see how they each reach their final destination._

_I know that some people will get frustrated with this chapter, and some may even stop reading my stories altogether. That is their choice and I'm not going to try forcing them to keep reading. I just ask that you realize that I knew what your reaction would be to this chapter and wrote a story that I knew would hold your interest if you just stayed with it._

_Be patient and we'll all reach the end together. :)_

_Chris_


	7. Chapter 6: The Potions Mistress

_Hello, everyone!_

_I know… I'm a bad person because I didn't post anything last week._

_Tough. Deal with it._

_Real life sometimes rears its ugly head and you have to set aside less important things in order to deal with it. That being the case, I decided to wait an extra week to post so that I could build up my completed chapter buffer and so that I could also revise some theories and plans for these stories._

_Yes… I have it all planned out right up until the very last chapter of story 7._

_Now for the warning, before people start complaining. I'm not writing a story for little children. I'm writing an Alternate Universe retelling of the seven Harry Potter stories. That means I get to decide when and where the changes take place, and how they will affect the characters in the stories. In some cases I have made changes that I think further my version of the story, and in other cases I have made changes that I think just make more sense than the canon version._

_What's my point? Easy… as the story progresses you will realize that these are not exact representations of Jo's creations. They may start off that way, but they are going through different situations which will eventually make them different people. So, while I don't intend to change the "inner" spirit of the characters, I may twist and change the "outer" spirit to suit my purposes. Don't come complaining to me because you think Harry is OOC when he gets in a fight or because Neville isn't a weak coward. _

_This is my version of things. If you don't like it, go read a Bob the Builder story._

_That being said… I write these stories for my enjoyment, but also because I want you to enjoy them as well. I love to see your reviews and read your guesses regarding the future of these stories. I just hope you like the stories well enough to wait for the answers. :)_

_Now… thanks to my lovely betas, C & J. I really am rather useless without them. _

_Thanks to my readers, all of my readers, because you give me the desire to keep writing._

_Enough of this… Go read and review._

_Chris_

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Potions Mistress**

**Harry Potter: The-Boy-who-saved-a-train.**

By: Scott McCleod

Once again the inhabitants of the magical world, and specifically the parents of the students riding aboard the Hogwarts Express, owe their thanks to Harry Potter, the hero that defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. September 1st should have been like any other return trip to school for the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Instead the students were almost the victims of a horrific train accident. An unknown individual set fire to the train as it made its way peacefully towards Hogsmeade station. It was only the selfless actions of Harry Potter that prevented the loss of countless innocent lives.

Reliable sources at the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts have confirmed that Harry Potter single-handedly prevented the disaster by extinguishing the fire and then, at great risk to himself, preventing the train from derailing. Although the details are sketchy at best, several witnesses say that Mr. Potter was injured by the effort and had to be carried from the scene of the fire by Forge and Gred Warsley.

At this time Harry Potter's condition is unknown. All attempts to contact Mr. Potter have been prevented by his guardian, Sirius Black, and the Headmaster and staff of Hogwarts. However, it is rumored that the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was allowed in to see Mr. Potter. The Minister is hinted to have thanked Mr. Potter for his bravery. It is also hinted that Mr. Potter voiced his admiration for the Minister and the way in which the Minister has been handling the government.

_**(Story Continued on Page 3.)**_

Ginny looked at the large picture of Harry shaking hands with the Minister that took up most of the front cover of the Daily Prophet. It was obvious from the books in Harry's hands and the window display behind him that the picture had been taken in Diagon Alley. Ginny doubted that anyone would really care about where the picture was taken. People would just see the picture of Harry shaking hands with the Minister and assume that what the paper said was true.

"_Knowing Harry, he's furious,"_ thought Ginny as she stared at the picture of Harry

In the three days since her arrival at Hogwarts, the story of Harry's miraculous rescue of the Hogwarts Express had spread like wildfire. Each time she heard it, the story was grander and more exotic. She only knew the truth of it because she had asked Fred and George to tell her. The fact that Ginny actually wanted to talk about Harry had taken them by such surprise that the twins had immediately told her everything.

Tom had also been very interested in the story. In fact, Tom was interested in every thing about Harry. Since finding the diary, Ginny had spent almost every night writing in it about Harry and his life. Tom never seemed to run out of questions about how Harry had defeated Lord Voldemort not once, but twice. She was actually getting tired of the subject, but Tom didn't seem to notice.

That was not to say that Tom only talked about Harry. He was actually a good listener and did not seem to mind in the least when she wrote about other things. Ginny had told Tom all about Harry's betrayal and how much it had hurt her. He often offered advice about how to deal with it and ways to make Harry regret his actions. Ginny liked most of Tom's suggestions and used many of them, but she still thought she was far too plain for Harry to ever notice now that she knew he liked his cousin Nymphadora.

Looking at the Muggle clock on Gwen's nightstand, Ginny saw she only had twenty minutes before her first Potions class. That was just enough time for a quick trip to the bathroom and to brush her teeth afterwards. Ginny had told Tom all about being so chubby, at least what she considered chubby, and that she was too young to purchase weight loss potions. Tom had felt sorry for Ginny and told her about a Muggle method of losing weight. Though rather distasteful to Ginny, Tom assured her that the method worked perfectly for Muggle actresses.

Several minutes later Ginny emerged from the bathroom, her belly empty and her teeth freshly brushed. It had taken some getting used to, but Ginny had made it her new routine to visit the bathroom shortly after every meal. The only problem, other than sticking a finger down her throat, was how tired she always felt these days. It had just gotten worse since her arrival at Hogwarts, but Tom said it was just the stress of being away from home for the first time.

Actually, Tom said that stress was the cause of many of the things that had been happening to her recently. First there had been the nightmares she had almost every night, horrible and dark dreams that she never quite remembered when she woke up. Then there was the fact that Ginny kept losing track of time. At first it was just a few minutes; but since arriving at Hogwarts, Ginny had started losing track of hours at a time. She would be in her room and then find herself somewhere completely different with no memory of how she got there.

That bit bothered her the most. Just the night before she had been in her bed writing to Tom and lost track of time. The next thing she knew, Ginny was in an old, unused girls' bathroom on the second floor. She had been covered in sweat and her mouth felt strange, like she had been talking so long that her jaw actually hurt. When she told Tom about it after returning to her dorm room, he had seemed a little frustrated but said it was because he was worried about her. The fact that someone cared about her enough to be worried about her made Ginny feel better.

"Ginny!" yelled a girl's voice from outside the door and coming closer. "If you don't get moving, we're going to be late for Potions class!"

The door swung open to reveal Gwen Price standing there with a disapproving stare that made Ginny snicker. "Keep your knickers on, Gwen. I was just coming down."

"Not a moment too soon," replied Gwen with a smile. "I've heard so many incredible things about Professor Flamel. I can't wait to see if it's true."

Ginny had to laugh at Gwen's obvious excitement. In fact, everything about Gwen made Ginny laugh. The two girls had met at the sorting ceremony and immediately hit it off. Gwen was Muggle-born and found the magical world fascinating. They had spent hours talking about the differences between the Muggle world and the Wizarding world. There were other differences though, and Ginny did not talk about those. Still, she could not help but notice them every time she looked at Gwen.

Gwen was extremely pretty, at least Ginny thought so. She didn't _like_ Gwen but Ginny had to be honest about it, the Muggle-born girl was prettier than she was. Although they were almost the same age, Gwen was more mature than Ginny. From her perfect skin to her striking violet-colored eyes, Gwen cut a path through the boys at Hogwarts, and not just the ones close to her age. In fact, Ginny often turned to see boys staring at Gwen when the two of them walked down the hallway together, just like today.

"They're at it again," Ginny whispered to Gwen as they left Gryffindor tower.

"Where?" Gwen whispered clearly, though she barely moved her lips.

"Just over my left shoulder," answered Ginny in a whisper.

Gwen gave a ghost of a nod before she "accidentally" dropped her wand. With the most girlish giggle and blush, something Gwen could do on command, she bent down and picked up her wand with barely a glance at the boys that were watching them. Then without so much as a thought, Gwen and Ginny continued on their way. Ginny almost laughed at how natural Gwen made it all look.

"One second year boy and two third year boys," Gwen said confidently as they continued to walk towards class. "The second year boy was watching you, though, and not me."

"Like that would happen," protested Ginny. "Why would anyone look at me when you're here?"

Gwen sighed and shook her head. "Gee, let me see, you've got gorgeous red hair and you are one of the prettiest girls in school. Besides, he wasn't looking at your face."

Now it was Ginny's turn to blush. "You're crazy, you are. I'm eleven years old. Boys do not look at me."

"You may be eleven," continued Gwen, "but you know how to use what you've got even if you don't know it."

"Yeah right," said Ginny, rolling her eyes at her friend.

"Fine, don't take my word for it," Gwen said looking back over her shoulder. "I'm telling you they look at you as much as they do me."

Ginny was about to tell Gwen she was crazy when she stopped cold. Walking right towards them was Professor Lockhart with Harry following close behind. For Ginny, it was as if all the air had just vanished when Harry looked right at her and smiled. It was when he waved and Gwen waved back that Ginny realized he must have been smiling at the raven haired girl rather than her.

"_Prat doesn't even see me when Gwen is around_," Ginny assured herself as her heart turned cold again.

"He's a prat," spat Ginny. "Trust me, once you get past the smile and gorgeous eyes, Harry Potter is a jerk."

"Whatever you say, Ginny," replied Gwen, but she did not sound convinced.

Their conversation was cut off before Gwen could ask why Ginny hated Harry so much. A small Gryffindor boy came running up to them with a camera tightly grasped in his hands. The boy's face was glowing with excitement and he barely seemed to be breathing.

"I did it!" he shouted as he reached Ginny and Gwen. "I finally got a picture of Harry Potter!"

Ginny cringed at the mention of Harry's name. "Harry actually agreed to let you take his picture, Colin?"

The boy stopped bouncing around and seemed to think about it for a moment and then shaking his head. "Well, not really. Professor Lockhart actually forced him into it."

"Colin," said Gwen as she started walking again, Ginny and Colin following her. "You just took Harry's picture without his permission and you think he's going to be happy about that?"

"He's not, Colin," Ginny said firmly, knowing exactly how Harry would feel about it. "He hates being famous and he hates having pictures taken without permission. If you really want to be friends with Harry, then taking his picture like that was probably the worst thing you could have done."

Colin looked crushed by Ginny's words. As they continued to walk towards class, he stared at his camera repeatedly. Finally as they reached the Potions Dungeon, Colin opened the back of his camera and pulled the film out. Once it was all exposed, he closed the back of the camera housing and let the camera fall back around his neck.

"Tell Harry I'm sorry," Colin said, handing the exposed film to Ginny.

Ginny held her hand up and shook her head. "You tell him Colin. Harry and I don't talk anymore. It will sound better coming from you anyway, since you are the one that took the picture in the first place."

Gwen looked like she was about to ask something, but they had reached the door to the Potions dungeon, which was already open. Falling silent, the three Gryffindors stepped through the door and into the classroom.

Having never seen the classroom while it was being used by Severus Snape, the first year students could not grasp the change that had taken place. Gone were the multitude of strange jars with preserved creatures inside them. There was also no chill to the air or musty smells of damp stone. No, this classroom was now bright and warm with the scent of flowers floating in the air. In the air hung brightly burning crystal globes that filled the room with a warm light.

The most striking change of all though had to be the teacher herself. Professor Flamel stood at the front of the classroom in a floral dress and white apron. Ginny thought she looked more like she was going to teach them how to cook than how to brew potions.

"Everyone take their seats, please," said Professor Flamel in a pleasant voice.

Ginny took a seat at one of the rear tables with Gwen sitting beside her. Colin sat on the other side and was joined a moment later by Ginny's friend Luna Lovegood. It had come as something of a surprise that Gryffindor and Slytherin no longer had double potions this year, at least to the older students. The first year students were happy with the situation though and the added benefit was that Ginny got to see Luna more than she would have otherwise.

"Hi, Luna!" Ginny said with a cheerful smile. "How do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"Hello, Ginny," replied Luna with a dazed looking smile. "Hogwarts is very interesting, but it does seem to have a large number of Wrackspurts infesting it."

Ginny chuckled softly at this. Luna was always talking about magical creatures no one had ever heard of before. Luna had a way of seeing the world that was both absolutely honest and completely insane. One way this showed up was in her ability to believe in nonexistent magical creatures. The other was Luna's knack for saying uncomfortable but true statements.

"So are you still angry at Harry for hurting your heart, Ginny?" asked Luna as matter-of-factly as if she had asked to borrow a quill.

Gwen actually dropped her cauldron at Luna's question. "Harry hurt your heart? What does that mean?"

"We're not talking about that now!" hissed Ginny As luck would have it, the professor called for their attention before anyone could object.

"Welcome to first year Potions, everyone," Professor Flamel said with a wide warm smile. "This year I will be teaching you a form of magic that many people overlook. Potion making is not about flashy wand work or who can pump the most power into a spell. Potion making is far subtler than that. Before we start though, does anyone have any questions?"

Several hands shot up in the air, including Gwen's. Professor Flamel smiled at everyone, but seemed to focus on Ginny's troubled expression. She slowly made her way through the tables until she was standing next to Ginny's. Professor Flamel nodded to Gwen and the raven haired girl beamed.

"Is it true that you are over six hundred years old, Professor?" asked Gwen, causing the entire room to fall silent in anticipation of the answer.

"Yes it is, Miss Price," answered Professor Flamel. "My husband is a very talented alchemist and he created what is known as a Philosopher's Stone. Can anyone tell me what a Philosopher's Stone is? Miss Weasley?"

Ginny sighed, not understanding why she had been called on, but fortunately she knew the answer. "The Philosopher's Stone allows the user to turn base metals, such as lead, into gold. It is also used to create the Elixir of Life which grants immortality to the drinker."

Professor Flamel smiled down at Ginny before speaking. "That is partially right, Miss Weasley. The stone does turn base metals to gold. However, the Elixir of Life does not grant immortality. Immortality implies that one drink grants eternal life, which is not how it works. What the Elixir actually does is halt the aging process so long as you continue to drink it regularly."

"So, you have to drink the Elixir every day?" asked Gwen. "Does that mean you brought the Elixir to Hogwarts with you?"

Professor Flamel nodded and walked back toward the front of the classroom. "Yes, I have to drink the Elixir every day, but I did not bring it to Hogwarts with me. The Elixir is stored somewhere very safe and my husband brings me some every night.

"Nicolas Flamel comes here every night?" asked a Ravenclaw boy that Ginny did not know.

"Yes he does," laughed Professor Flamel. "If you want, I will ask him to come early one day so you can all meet him. Just don't be too disappointed when you do. My husband is a brilliant alchemist, but he still hasn't learned how to match a pair of socks without my help."

The room filled with laughter at this. Ginny was reminded of her mother again and found herself liking Professor Flamel because of it. She had expected the professor to be mysterious, like Dumbledore, but Ginny found her to be completely different. If anything, Professor Flamel was more like a friend than a teacher.

"Now let us begin our lesson," said Professor Flamel, pointing at a blackboard next to her desk. "On here you will see a recipe for a simple sleeping potion."

Ginny looked at the instructions and was surprised at how easy it looked. It was written out the same way her mother wrote recipes for cooking. All the ingredients were listed first, followed by detailed instructions for how to brew the potion.

"Brewing potions is just like making cookies," Professor Flamel said in a motherly tone. "If you follow the recipe, you are rewarded with a useable potion. If you skip a step, or add the wrong ingredient, you have to start over. Just so we are clear on this, let there be no mistaking the fact that if you make a mistake, you can just as easily brew a poison as you can a delight."

The professor walked over to the student storage cabinets and opened them for the class. "Work on the recipe today. When you are done, I want you to bottle a sample of your potion and place it on my desk. If you finish early, you are free to leave. Also, five points to everyone that asked a question and five to Miss Weasley for knowing about the Philosopher's Stone."

Ginny and the others worked hard on perfecting their potions for the rest of the class. No one left early, but several Ravenclaw students did finish their potions early. They spent the remaining time talking to Professor Flamel at the front of the class in hushed voices. Finishing her potion right as the class ended, Ginny poured some of it in a vial and labeled it to turn in. As she approached the desk after cleaning up her supplies, she saw that she and Gwen were the last ones in the classroom.

"Miss Weasley," the professor said as Ginny set her potion on the desk. "Could I have a word with you in private?"

"Yes, Professor," Ginny answered without hesitation, just as she normally did with her mother.

"I'll be in the hallway waiting, Ginny," said Gwen, picking up her things and leaving.

"Have a seat, Miss Weasley," the professor said, motioning to one of the empty stools before sitting on one herself. "Can I call you Ginny? You may call me Perenelle now that class is over. I've never really been fond of titles and calling people by their last name."

Ginny nodded her head to show she approved and Perenelle smiled back. "Wonderful, Ginny. Now for the reason I asked you to stay. I have a problem that I think you might be able to help me with."

Slightly confused, Ginny could not help but wonder with what type of problem the professor might have that required her help. Messages accumulated from years of self doubt and more recent ones from Tom played through her mind. They were messages that told her that she was a baby, untalented, someone that needed to be protected, and most of all that she could not help anyone. Just thinking about those messages playing through her head made Ginny want to crawl away and hide.

"Calm down, Ginny," said Perenelle, noticing Ginny's distress. "You've done nothing wrong."

Perenelle looked closely at Ginny and wanted to scoop the poor girl up in her arms. It was obvious from the look in her eyes that Ginny Weasley was tired and not just from lack of sleep. It looked to the professor as if Ginny was not eating properly, which would add to the young girl's physical exhaustion. Worse still, the longer Ginny went on like this, the easier it would be for Voldemort's diary to overpower her mind.

"_I must remember to give Arthur a piece of my mind the next time I see him_," thought the Potions Mistress.

With a quick wave of her wand, Perenelle summoned a tray of tea and cookies from her office at the back of the classroom. Setting the tray down on her desk, Perenelle stood and prepared two cups of tea for herself and Ginny. Adding several biscuits to the saucer of Ginny's cup, Perenelle turned and handed the saucer and cup to the young girl.

"When I first arrived here," Perenelle said gently, taking a seat across from Ginny, "I met several wonderful students. Several of them stood out immediately. What I need your help with is getting two of those remarkable students to actually focus on their studies. I think you know the two students in question, Fred and George Weasley?"

"My brothers?" asked Ginny. "You want me to help you make them study? What makes you think they would listen to me?"

"Probably the fact that they love you dearly and had nothing but positive things to say about you," smiled Perenelle. "When I asked them about their family, they said you were probably the best out of all of them."

Ginny could not help but blush, but shook her head. "They were just making fun of me. They always do."

"Do you really think your brothers would do that to you, Ginny?" asked Perenelle, sipping her tea.

Shrugging her shoulders, Ginny looked up at Perenelle with a look that clearly said she was uncertain. "I would have said no if you asked me that a few months ago. Now I don't know. I just don't know who to trust anymore."

Perenelle smiled a warm motherly smile, reached over and lifted Ginny's downturned face. "Follow your heart Ginny. I may be old, very old actually, but even I know that love is the most powerful magic there is. Your brothers love you and would never hurt you. I think you might be surprised at how many people love you, no matter what you might think right now."

A tear rolled down Ginny's cheek as she absorbed what the professor was saying. She could think of one person that she wished would love her, but he had chosen someone else, hadn't he? Was it possible that Harry still cared about her? Maybe he had been as hurt by her leaving as she had been by his choice of Nymphadora over her.

"_But he never actually said he had picked Nymphadora over you_," said a voice in the back of her mind.

"_He said he never wanted to talk to me again_," Ginny argued with herself.

"_Did he?_" asked the voice calmly. "_Or was that just how you saw it?_"

"I don't know anymore," Ginny mumbled to herself.

Perenelle smiled again and nodded. "Not everything is what it seems, Ginny. Sometimes there are forces at work that we don't understand. Maybe you should think about that before you close off your heart."

"Maybe," agreed Ginny in a whisper. "I miss him so much."

"And maybe he misses you, too," said Perenelle softly. "Whoever he might be, that is."

Ginny shook her head, trying to clear away dark thoughts. It seemed to her that the professor was talking about things that Ginny had not wanted to think about in ages. Now she wanted nothing more than to find Harry and talk to him. No matter what the outcome, Ginny wanted to hear what Harry had to say about the summer.

"I've kept you long enough, Ginny," said Perenelle as she stood up. "Your friend is probably waiting for you."

Nodding, Ginny placed her teacup on the tray and gathered up her things again. "I'll do what I can to help you with the twins, Professor."

"Thank you, Ginny," Perenelle said, watching Ginny walk out the door and close it behind her.

"_If Harry doesn't destroy that blasted diary, I will_," she thought grimly.

"You did well, Perenelle," said a man's voice from her office.

Turning to the figure standing in the office doorway, Perenelle frowned and pointed an accusing finger at the man. "I don't know what you think you're doing with these children; but if they are hurt because of it, you WILL answer to me."

A pair of twinkling blue eyes stared back at her from behind half-moon glasses. "I'm doing what I think is best to prepare them for what is to come."

"We'll see about that, Albus," said Perenelle before she walked out of the Potions dungeon.

"_Yes we will, Perenelle,"_ thought Dumbledore before he too left the room.

Dumbledore walked unnoticed through the hallways following a little ways behind Ginny and Gwen. His thoughts were heavy and his eyes had lost their twinkle. There was very little in the school that he was unaware of. He reached into his robes and pulled out a crystal that he had carried with him for twelve years. A sickly green glow emanated from the crystal as Dumbledore played with it in his hand. Dumbledore had recognized the diary for what it was the moment Ginny Weasley had brought it in to the school. How could he not recognize it? It felt exactly like the crystal he had been given all those years ago.

As he watched Ginny and Gwen make their way outside to enjoy the weather, Dumbledore continued to turn the crystal in his hand. His fear was that like the crystal, the diary was more than a fragment of Tom's soul. Of course he doubted Ginny had the power of will that he had, so she would eventually fall under its spell. Part of him demanded he take the diary from her immediately and destroy it, but something stopped him every time he tried.

"_She will be fine_," said a voice in his mind, which seemed cold and alien. "_Leave her alone, and wait to see what happens, Albus_."

"Yes," mumbled Dumbledore to himself, turning the crystal even faster in his hand. "I'll just wait and see what happens."

Turning away from Ginny, Dumbledore made his way back into the school. If Ginny noticed that he had been following her, she showed no sign of it. However, someone noticed and he smiled to himself, or at least he thought about smiling. Tom, or that part of him that was sealed within the diary, being the oldest and most human, had recognized the part of him that was moving around in the school. Sometimes he thought he sensed a third vessel, but he could not be sure of that one. That third vessel seemed to fade in and out of reality. Whatever the case, the presence of those other portions of his soul only served to bolster Tom's confidence. They proved to him that he, Lord Voldemort, had succeeded in his plans to become immortal and soon he would have a body again.

Unaware of the thoughts and actions of the Headmaster or Tom, Ginny's thoughts were more immediate. Fridays were half days for her and all she could think about was Harry. Professor Flamel's words had made her think about everything that was happening in her life. For her that meant thinking about Harry and how she felt about him.

"_Could he still like me?"_ she wondered.

"Earth to Ginny," said Gwen. "What got you off in dreamland?"

"Do you think it's possible to still be friends with someone even if you've both said hateful things?" asked Ginny, hoping that Gwen would not ask who she was talking about.

Gwen seemed to think about that for a moment before answering. "My mum and I had a really bad row after she found out I was a witch. She's Catholic and thought being a witch meant I was going to be a pagan, like in the stories. She wanted to keep me from coming to Hogwarts because of it."

"What did she do?" asked Ginny.

Gwen sat down on the ground beneath a large tree and laughed. "What do you think she did? She went and told the parish priest all about it. About me being a witch and Hogwarts. I think she wanted him to drive the magic out of me or something."

"Oh my God," gasped Ginny. "She actually told a Muggle about the Wizarding world? That's really bad, Gwen. She could get in lots of trouble and even have her memory erased. So could the poor man she told."

"Not to worry, Ginny," Gwen replied with a chuckle. "The priest invited us all over to his house that night for tea. Mum thought he was going to cure me or something, maybe perform an exorcism, but he had something else in mind."

"What?"

"When we got there, he had tea all ready for us," snickered Gwen. "He offered us all seats. Then before my mum could even say a word, he pulled out a wand. He gave it a flick and the food came floating in all by itself and served us. Mum was shocked, but the priest just set his wand on the table and told her all about his years at Hogwarts."

"He's a wizard, too?" asked Ginny in amazement.

"Oh yeah," nodded Gwen. "He explained all about how magic is just another gift from God. Then he told her how just because I'm a witch doesn't make me a bad person, or a pagan. Faith, he said, is a type of magic too. After that Mum apologized to me. So yeah, I think you can still love someone even after being mad at them."

Ginny thought about that and smiled. Gwen's story was not exactly like her situation with Harry, but it was close enough for her. She was determined to talk to Harry as soon as possible. That thought filled her head for the rest of the day. She was so centered on that one idea that she did not even write to Tom that night. Instead she waited in the common room for Harry until she finally fell asleep on one of the couches.

"Ginny!" said a voice. "Wake up and go to bed."

Ginny looked up and saw Ron standing over her. She knew that if Ron was back, then Harry must be as well. Sitting up quickly, she asked Ron where Harry was.

"Sorry, Ginny," Ron said with a shake of his head. "Harry is still in the library. His friend, Mr. Knight, showed up for a talk and they're still at it. If you really want to talk to him though, do it in the morning. He didn't look too happy with Mr. Knight, so it might not be a good time to talk to him."

"You'll tell him I want to talk to him?" she asked.

"I promise," Ron said with a smile. "He's been so worried about you, Gin. He misses you something fierce. I wouldn't tell him I said that though. I've got a reputation to protect. I'm the thick one, you know."

Ginny jumped up off the couch and hugged Ron tightly. "Your secret is safe with me. I won't say a word."

For the first time in a long time, Ginny slept peacefully. Unfortunately for her, Harry was gone when she woke up the next morning. Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, had decided the team needed to practice bright and early that morning. She debated going to watch him fly, but Gwen and Colin asked her to join them for breakfast and a bit of review.

Things only went downhill from there. While studying in the library, Colin realized he had forgotten his camera in his dorm room. Claiming he could not live without it, they all ran back to the common room just in time to literally run over Filch in the hallway. The caretaker was less than pleased, and that was putting it lightly. Within minutes the three Gryffindors were sitting in his office as he wrote up a recommendation that they be given detention for a week. Ginny felt horrible about running him down, but she thought a week was probably overdoing it.

"Assaulting school staff and complete disregard for the safety of others," snarled Filch as he wrote. "It'll be a week detention for sure. Not like the old days when they used to flog students for touching the staff. Gone soft, they have."

Colin and Gwen were nearly in tears, but Ginny just sighed and waited. She had heard all about Filch and his claims of corporal punishment at Hogwarts. However, according to her father and mother, not even their parents had ever heard of anyone being chained up or whipped at Hogwarts.

"_He's full of hot air_," thought Ginny, rolling her eyes for the twentieth time that morning.

By the time the trio had been set free, Filch had not been given permission for his flogging, but they had each received a detention to be served that night with the still-fuming caretaker. Ginny was not looking forward to telling her mother about her detention. Barely a week at school and already she was in trouble.

"No worries," Gwen said with a cheerful smirk as they reached the Great Hall for lunch. "At least we'll be together."

"True," agreed Colin. "From the sounds of it, we'll be polishing some trophies. That can't be any worse than helping my Dad wash milk bottles."

Ginny nodded and took a seat at the Gryffindor table. "Mum had me help clean around the house all last year, so I'm not too worried."

The three young Gryffindors ate and talked for the better part of an hour. They listened in on some older students talking about the Slytherin Quidditch team and how they were causing problems again. Evidently Draco Malfoy was the new Slytherin Seeker thanks to a gift of new brooms for the team from his father. One of the girls that was talking, Ginny thought she was a fourth year on the team, said there had been a scuffle after one of Harry's friends said he had bought his way on the team.

"I've never seen anyone move as fast as Potter did when Malfoy said that about his friend," said the girl with a smirk. "Malfoy was on the ground before anyone could even blink."

"Fred and George had to pull Harry off the little ponce," said another girl. "It was a good thing Professor Flamel was there to hear what Malfoy said. Malfoy can't claim Harry attacked for no reason with her being there."

Ginny listened to all of what they were saying. Harry had received a detention for knocking Malfoy down and Malfoy had received one for what he had said. Professor Flamel was fair, but she was also strict. Unfortunately, between her detention and the fact that Harry had gone to visit Hagrid after practice, Ginny doubted she would get a chance to talk to him until either late that night or the next day.

After finishing their meal and a quick trip to the loo for Ginny, the three friends headed back outside to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Ginny was feeling hungry and tired by the time they headed back in for dinner that night. She filled up on meat pies and chips, washing it all down with chilled pumpkin juice. She felt full and bloated by the time she finished, but that was quickly solved by another trip to the loo before reporting to Filch's office for detention.

"You'll be polishing the school trophies," sneered Filch. "No need for your wands. We'll be doing this the old fashioned way."

It was three hours before Filch let them go, but Ginny did not mind so much. She had made a discovery while in the trophy room that she wanted to ask Tom about. She forgot her previous plans to wait for Harry, or if he was already back, to have someone ask him to come down so they could talk. Instead Ginny sprinted up the girls' stairs and pulled Tom's diary out of her trunk before flopping down on her bed and beginning to write.

"Hi, Tom" she wrote. "Sorry I didn't write last night but I was so tired I fell asleep. You'll never believe what I found tonight."

_**Tell me.**_

Ginny began to write about her day, especially her detention. She told Tom all about finding an award with his name on it from when he was at school. As she wrote, Ginny felt her eyes growing heavy until they finally closed and her head fell forward onto the diary. Ginny lay like that for several minutes, barely breathing, until suddenly she lifted her head.

Jerking at first, Ginny slowly got up from the bed and looked around. Her normally brown eyes were darker now, almost black, and there was no warmth in them any longer. Picking up her wand, Ginny cast several spells on her bed to make it seem as if she were sleeping peacefully. Then tapping the wand on her forehead, Ginny slowly vanished from sight, leaving the room apparently empty except for the illusion of herself on the bed.

When the portrait hole opened a minute or two later, no one seemed to notice a strange blurry shadow that exited the common room. Like a ghost, the blurry shadow moved through the hallways and down several flights of stairs until it reached an unused bathroom on the second floor. The door to the bathroom opened and closed by itself as far as anyone would have been able to tell. It was only after the door was closed and sealed with a silent spell that Ginny reappeared in the bathroom.

"Let us try this again, Ginny," said a voice that sounded exactly like Ginny's, but was not.

For the next fifteen minutes, the body of Ginny Weasley stood in front of the sink making strange sounds. Tom cared very little if Ginny's body was tired, or her feet hurt. All he cared about was opening the Chamber of Secrets. So what if he had to teach her mouth how to speak Parseltongue? It was all going to be worth it in the end.

As he spoke through her mouth, Tom reviewed his plan. The foolish girl had come to love poor innocent Tom, a memory in a diary. That allowed him to convince her of almost anything. He deprived her of sleep with nightmares and talked her into making herself sick to lose weight, which really only made her weaker and easier to control. It was all too easy. Once he opened the Chamber and he released the basilisk, using it to scare away Dumbledore and his precious Mudbloods, then he could concentrate on Harry Potter.

"I have time," he whispered in Ginny's voice. "I still need more of your life force before I can materialize permanently as something more than a memory."

Tom was just beginning to wonder if the reason he could not open the entrance to the Chamber was because he did not have enough control over Ginny when suddenly the sink in front of him sank into the floor. Finally he had been able to force her mouth to pronounce the command properly. As he watched the sink vanish, revealing the entrance pipe, Tom rejoiced. No sooner had the sink completely vanished than Tom leaped into the pipe with an evil grin on his face.

He was running before his feet even touched the ground at the bottom of the pipe. Tom ran along the long black tunnel, not even needing a light because he remembered it so well. He only drew Ginny's wand at the end of the tunnel, casting Lumos. Tom looked at the two snakes carved on the solid stone wall and allowed himself to laugh.

"_Open!_" he commanded the snakes using Parseltongue.

Slowly the snakes slid apart, revealing the chamber beyond. It was exactly the way he had left it fifty years before. An eerie green light revealed the tall pillars adorned with eyeless serpents. Tom barely noticed them as he walked towards the statue at the far end of the chamber. To him, the Chamber was his true home and nothing in it could ever frighten or harm him, not even the creature that called the Chamber home.

Reaching the foot of the statue, Tom looked up at the noble face of Salazar Slytherin. "I've returned to continue your work, my most ingenious ancestor!"

Clearing his throat, Tom turned Ginny's face upwards and called out in Parseltongue. _"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four!"_

Tom waited expectantly for the statues mouth to open, but it did not. He tried again, but still nothing happened. Enraged, Tom bellowed the command once again in the futile hope that the statue would obey him, yet still nothing moved. However, something did happen.

A voice, more a whisper, filled the Chamber. _"Who comessss to my lair? Who sssspeakssss my tongue?"_

"_It is I, Lord Voldemort!"_ bellowed Tom.

"_You are hard to underssstand…"_ replied the voice. _"Ssset me free sssoo I might ssseee you."_

"_I'm trying, you stupid beast,"_ Tom thought to himself, but he kept his frustrations to himself. _"The time is not right, o King of Serpentssss. Soon I will release you and we shall continue our work."_

"_Then I will kill,"_ replied the voice. _"I will rend them, and I will eat them."_

"Yes, you will," replied Tom in a hissing voice.

"_Ssstudents of Hogwarts_," hissed the voice, louder this time. _"Let me kill you! Let me tear you! Let me eat you!"_

With a smile as cold as ice, Tom listened to the echoes filling the chamber like a chorus of demons. The sound filled the room. Eventually the echoes reached the pipes of Hogwarts. For the most part, anyone that heard the sound took it to be air in the pipes, but not everyone. One young man was just leaving a detention when he heard the sound. To his ears, it was more than just air in the pipes. To his ears, the sound was a voice that was threatening to kill and harm his classmates and friends. Turning towards Gryffindor tower, Harry whispered only five words but they were spoken with an incredible amount of determination.

"I will not allow it!"


	8. Chapter 7: A Father’s Gift

Hello Everyone!

No, I'm not dead and I didn't fall off the face of the Earth. However, the thrice cursed thing I call my life was very busy and extremely chaotic for a little while. You'll have to forgive me if I put reality first and writing second, at least until the writing pays the bills.

I'll make this little note short and sweet. I have no plans of abandoning this project, but there may be a few delays until after the holidays are over. I'm sure you can all understand, with maybe the exception of my readers in the United Kingdom (and other foreign readers) who do not celebrate Thanksgiving as we do here in the United States. I will say that we are at a turning point in my version of the story. Decisions will be made, and the course will be set. This chapter will reveal one of my pet peeves about the original stories, and my solution to it. You will either appreciate it, or you'll go find a new story to read. It's your choice.

Thanks once again to my lovely and talented betas, C & J. Without them I would not be nearly the writer I am.

Now scoot. Go read and review.

Chris

* * *

**Chapter 7: A Father's Gift**

Friday morning came too early for Harry's liking. Between the attention he had been receiving ever since the events on the Hogwarts Express and the sheer fact that every time he saw Ginny she ignored him, Harry was miserable. He had really been looking forward to returning to school. Now he just wished he could go home. If it had not been for his friends running interference, Harry would have already made a run for it.

Classes had been Harry's only escape so far. Surprisingly, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lockhart had been the most entertaining class Harry had ever had at Hogwarts. Harry had walked into the classroom with all of Lockhart's books, expecting the famous professor to spend all of his time bragging about his many exploits. Instead, the fair haired professor had picked several adventures from his books and they had discussed what he had done right, and sometimes what he had done wrong. Harry thought it was one of the best classes he had ever sat through.

The odd thing was that it seemed Professor Lockhart was following Harry around the school. Several times Harry had found Lockhart wandering the hallways behind him. It was slightly unnerving, but so far Harry had chalked it up to coincidence. He was thinking about that on his way to Charms when a small first year boy stopped him in the hallway. Harry recognized the boy from Diagon Alley.

"Hello, Harry!" squealed the boy with obvious excitement. "I'm Colin Creevey. We met in Diagon Alley!"

Harry nodded and smiled at the boy. "I remember you, Colin. You were there with your father and brother."

"That's right!" replied the excited boy. "I read all about you and told my dad that we met you. I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor?"

"What's that, Colin?" Harry asked as they continued to walk towards Charms.

"Well my dad's a Muggle," Colin said breathlessly. "He doesn't understand most of what I tell him, so I've been taking pictures to show him. I just wondered if I could get a picture with you to show him?"

Harry cringed at the idea and shook his head. "I don't really like having my picture taken, Colin."

"Oh, please, Harry?" pleaded Colin. "It's not like I want your autograph….unless you want to that is?"

"Giving out autographs, Potter?" said a drawling voice that Harry instantly recognized.

Harry instantly regretted not waiting for his friends before heading to class, but turned to face the situation head on. "Stuff it, Malfoy."

Draco was standing with a group of other Slytherin students. He looked pleased with himself as his classmates laughed at Harry. Harry knew he was outnumbered, but he still wanted to hex Malfoy.

"Clever, Potter," sneered the pale Slytherin boy. "Trying to look tough for your little girlfriend here?"

Malfoy pointed at Colin who blushed, but whether from embarrassment or anger Harry could not say. "You leave Harry alone. He's better than you!"

"Be quiet, Colin," hissed Harry in an attempt to silence Colin.

"Yes, do be quiet," Draco said with a nasty grin. "Let your boyfriend do the talking. Isn't that right, Potter?"

Just then, right as Harry was reaching for his wand, another voice interrupted them. "What's going on here?"

Harry turned to find Professor Lockhart striding towards them. The professor's dark blue robes billowed out behind him reminding Harry of someone else. At first Harry was unsure who the professor looked like, but then it hit him. Lockhart moved just like Professor Snape had. The difference was that Professor Snape had often looked like a giant bug while Professor Lockhart looked more like a bird.

"Potter is giving out signed photos, sir," laughed Malfoy.

"Is this true, Potter?" asked Lockhart.

"No, sir," answered Harry. "Colin wanted a picture to send home to his father. I was actually just telling him no when Malfoy showed up."

"It's true, Professor," squeaked Colin.

Malfoy was about to say something, but Lockhart glared at the Slytherin boy with such contempt that he clamped his mouth shut.

"Mr. Creevey," Lockhart said turning back to the two Gryffindor students. "I think you deserve that picture. Come, Mr. Potter, we'll give Mr. Creevey a treat and both pose for him."

Harry was stunned at the suggestion. He was going to complain, but Lockhart had already stepped closer. With a flash of light, Colin had his picture. Malfoy had vanished by the time Harry's eyes cleared and Colin was bouncing around as if he had just gotten an early Christmas present.

"Come with me, Mr. Potter," commanded Lockhart. "I want to discuss something with you."

"Yes, sir," answered Harry as he followed after the famous teacher.

They had not taken but a few steps when Harry looked up and saw Ginny looking at him, her friend Gwen was standing beside her. It was the first time he could remember Ginny looking at him since his arrival at Hogwarts. With a smile and a wave, Harry tried to get some further reaction out of her, but it was Gwen that smiled and waved back. Ginny turned away from Harry and kept walking as Harry moved further down the hall after the professor.

"You and Miss Weasley do not seem to be on the best of terms," Lockhart said suddenly.

"She's mad at me about something, but I don't know what," answered Harry.

"Things are not always what they seem, Potter," said Lockhart as they reached the Charms hallway. "You would do well to remember that."

Harry looked up at Lockhart's face and was surprised to see Lockhart looking back at him. "You would also do well to remember that you have friends here at school that you might not recognize."

Lockhart's words rang a bell in Harry's mind bringing back the conversation with Mr. Knight. "And would you be one of those friends, Professor?"

Lockhart smiled at Harry and nodded. "Another of your friends wishes to speak to you later today in the library. After lunch would be a good time to go."

"Yes, sir," said Harry as Lockhart turned and walked away.

Harry stepped into the Charms class just before Professor Flitwick closed the door. He quickly joined his friends, sitting next to Ron. Hermione shot Harry a curious glance which he answered by holding his hand up asking for her to wait.

The four friends made it through Charms class and were on their way to the Great Hall before Hermione could hold her questions no longer.

"We saw you in the hallway talking to Professor Lockhart," she said quickly, then took a deep breath and started in on her questions. "What did Professor Lockhart want? Why did you look so surprised when you walked in? Does this have anything to do with what you told us?"

"Only three questions," Neville murmured to Ron.

Ron shrugged and whispered back, "She must be feeling sick."

"What was that, Ron?" asked Hermione with a glare.

"He said reading the chapter for Charms did the trick," responded Neville with a smile.

Harry watched Hermione struggle not to laugh. By unwritten agreement between the four friends, Hermione could only scold them for their comments if Neville could not come up with a good alternative to what had been said. So far, Neville had saved them better than fifty percent of the time.

"Lockhart just told me, in a roundabout way, that he is one of the friends Mr. Knight told me would be lurking about this year," explained Harry. "Obviously, I was a bit surprised."

"Makes sense though, if you think about it," said Ron thoughtfully. "I mean who better to help us in case of danger than the Defense teacher?"

Hermione did not look convinced. "We don't know for sure that he's telling the truth, Ron. He may be a professor, but that doesn't mean he isn't a liar. Just look at Quirrell and what he was up to last year."

"She's got a point, Harry," agreed Neville. "Quirrell acted all meek and afraid, but he turned out to be a real nutter."

Harry nodded, thinking over what his friends had said. "You have a point, I don't deny that. I just don't think that's the case this time. I can't say I like Lockhart, but he doesn't strike me as the "Voldemort-in-the-back-of-the-head" type. If you know what I mean?"

After enjoying a wonderful lunch in the Great Hall, Harry and his friends made their way to the library. They each kept their eyes open just in case it was an ambush, but everything seemed quiet. They found an empty table at the back of the library and were soon quietly working on the few assignments they had been given. It was almost two hours before they noticed anything strange.

Harry had just finished his Potions homework, a foot long roll of parchment on the properties of thyme in potions. As he was rolling the parchment up, a strange hollow whistle sounded from back in the Restricted book section. He had just turned to look at it when the ring on his finger seemed to twitch. Looking down at the ring, Harry felt it tug at his hand in the direction of the Restricted section.

"Stay here, you lot," Harry whispered as he stood up to follow the ring's tugs.

"You sure you'll be okay, Harry?" asked Ron.

"Yeah," smiled Harry. "I'll be just fine."

Harry slowly entered the Restricted section and made his way back to the furthest corner of it. Sitting at a table, a ray of sunlight illuminating his face, was Mr. Knight. The man smiled warmly at Harry and motioned for him to sit. Harry smiled back at the man and slid into an empty chair across from the older man.

"It's good to see you again, Harry," whispered Mr. Knight with a grin.

"Good to see you, too," agreed Harry. "I guess Professor Lockhart really is one of your friends."

"Oh, yes," laughed Mr. Knight. "He's a friend of mine, though I had to do a great deal of talking to get him to take the job here. He's wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for a long time, but not quite like this."

Harry had to wonder what Mr. Knight was talking about. Everything he had heard about Professor Lockhart said the man loved attention, so why had he needed convincing to take the job? Harry was about to ask the question when Mr. Knight cut him off.

"I heard about what happened on the train, Harry," chuckled the older man. "Couldn't help but not hear about it actually."

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that," said Harry. "Do you know how I did that? I mean it shouldn't have been possible."

"Well if it was anyone else, I would agree with you," Mr. Knight said, with a smile.

"What? So I'm bloody Superman now on top of everything else?"

Mr. Knight laughed at that and smiled at Harry. "I always liked Batman better. He was just a regular guy that knew he could be hurt, but did what needed doing anyway."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "I would have figured you for a Prince Valiant fan."

"I knew the real Prince Valiant," scoffed Mr. Knight. "He wasn't so valiant and he had an unwholesome interest in sheep. It was sad really, but back to your situation. What do you know about the gifts your parents gave you?"

"What gifts?" asked Harry feeling slightly confused. "I mean I know my mum gave her life to save mine which protected me from the Killing curse, but that's it."

"Do you honestly think your father's death was for nothing then?" asked Mr. Knight in return, all sense of humor now gone from his voice.

"He died in vain trying to hold back Voldemort," answered Harry coolly. "It was a wasted effort. He was no match for Voldemort. He would have been better off escaping with my mum, but instead he left her alone with me. He screwed up."

"Foolish boy," spat Mr. Knight. "They couldn't escape; Voldemort cast wards around the house to prevent them from Apparating or using Portkeys. Even knowing it meant his death, your father fought Voldemort in the hopes that your mother would be able to find a way out. He sacrificed himself just like your mother did and just like her, his sacrifice invoked ancient and powerful magic!"

"Wait a minute," stammered Harry. "You mean the both….."

"Of course they both invoked ancient protections with their deaths," Mr. Knight said forcefully. "I would have thought it was obvious. They both gave their lives because they loved you. Your mother died shielding you, so her gift was a powerful protection for you. On the other hand, your father died fighting for you and his death provided you with a weapon to fight back with."

"A weapon?"

"Yes, Harry," answered the older man, calming down now. "Her love became your shield and his became your sword."

Harry's mind reeled with the revelation that his father had bestowed a weapon to Harry. "Why did no one ever tell me this before?"

"Honestly I don't think it ever occurred to them," sighed Mr. Knight. "Albus explained your defeat of Voldemort as being thanks to your mother. I don't think it even occurred to him that your father's death was just as important, maybe even more important."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Knight let out another sigh before answering. "The ancient magics are hard to explain, Harry. Some of them are like miracles and some are the worst curses imaginable. Whatever the case, they are powerful and mysterious. Even Merlin admitted that he barely understood them. One thing he did know was that they could not be controlled."

"I don't understand," said Harry, feeling even more confused now.

Mr. Knight nodded and continued on. "Let me make it easy for you. You have no control over your mother's gift. It is always working to protect you from Voldemort, even when he's nowhere near you. Well your father's gift is the same way. You can't turn it on and off at will. It just works when your need is great enough. Once it activates, I think it allows you to channel your magic into whatever you need. If you need to be faster or stronger, then your magic will make that happen for you."

"But if I can't control it, I can't rely on it, can I?" Harry asked as he started to understand. "I mean, if I just took it for granted that it was going to save me no matter what, I could get myself killed?"

The former monarch nodded his head and smiled at Harry. "That about sums it up, Harry. You can't throw yourself off a building and expect the magic to save you. I guess you could think of your father's gift as a pure luck sort of thing. When you really and truly need it, then the magic will work. If you are just goofing around or try to force it….."

"It won't work and I'll end up dead," finished Harry.

"Yes," sighed Mr. Knight. "You can't expect it to save you just because you want it to."

Harry accepted what Mr. Knight told him and asked several more questions on the topic as they continued to talk. It really did make sense once Harry thought about it. Both of his parents died to protect him, so why shouldn't they both provide him with protections thanks to the ancient magic?

"I guess I can live with that," Harry said finally. "I sort of feel bad that it never occurred to me before.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Harry," Mr. Knight said with a kind smile. "Everyone missed it. They were so focused on your ability to survive the Killing curse that they overlooked the obvious."

It was much later when Harry finally crawled into bed. He hoped sleep would come quickly, but it seemed his mind had other plans. After staring at the hanging curtains for over an hour, Harry finally gave sleep up as a bad idea. Crawling out of bed, he grabbed some parchment and a self-inking quill. If he could not sleep, Harry figured he would use the time to write to Sirius.

As quietly as possible, he made his way out of his dorm room and down to the common room. Harry expected the room to be deserted, but instead he heard the soft whimpers of someone crying. Walking over to the chair nearest the guttering fire, Harry found the boy who had taken his picture curled up. Colin was trying not to cry, but tears rolled down his cheeks.

"You okay, Colin?"

Colin jumped up immediately, wiping the tears from his face guiltily. "Yeah, it's nothing, just wanted to do some reading."

"Of course," Harry agreed. "Best time to read. No one around to bother you and the best seats are available. Great time to write, too."

Colin nodded, sitting back down again and looking at Harry guiltily. "I miss my dad and brother. I've never been away from home before this."

Taking the seat next to Colin's, Harry nodded. "I was the same way when I got here "reading" just like you. Eventually I got used to the sounds of this place and found I could sleep much better. I even got used to the sounds of Ron snoring."

"So what did you do till then?" asked Colin.

"I wrote a lot of letters." Harry answered with a smile. "You're friends with Ginny right?"

Colin nodded and Harry continued. "I used to write letters to her almost every night. Something about writing to her always made me feel better."

"Can I ask you about that, Harry?"

"About what?"

Colin swallowed hard, trying to work up the courage to ask his question before he finally spoke. "If you and Ginny were so close before, what happened that you don't talk anymore?"

Harry stared off into the fire and sighed. "Wish I knew, Colin. One day we were so close and the next day she hated me. I still care about her and miss her, but she just ignores me now. I thought we would always be together, but obviously I was wrong."

"That's so sad," Colin sighed. "I think she misses you, too, Harry. She just sounds so hurt and angry when she talks about you."

Harry nodded and sighed again. "I wish I knew what I did to upset her."

"I could try and find out for you," volunteered Colin.

"Thanks, Colin," Harry said gratefully. "Let me know if you figure it out. While you're at it, if you could, keep an eye on her for me. If anything or anyone tries to hurt her, will you let me know? Can you do that for me?"

"Sure thing, Harry!"

Harry and Colin sat talking in front of the fire until well after midnight. Although Harry at first had found the young boy to be slightly annoying because of Colin's desire to take his picture, Harry now realized he was just excited by the discovery that he was a wizard. Harry admitted that Colin was probably always going to be excitable, but that was okay.

When he finally did fall asleep Harry dreamed of talking with Ginny, all their problems forgotten. Unfortunately he was rather rudely woken up by Oliver Wood. Harry debated hexing Wood until he left, but the desire to be back in the air convinced him that hexing the older boy was not worth it.

So, after several hours of Wood explaining his new training program, which most of the team slept through, Harry was finally back in the air. The air was cool and crisp on his skin as Harry sped around the Quidditch pitch. It felt wonderful to be flying again and Harry never wanted it to end. It was as he was streaking past the stands that he first noticed someone sitting in the highest seats.

On his second pass of the stand Harry recognized the woman. Professor Flamel was sitting comfortably in the stands knitting what looked like a red and gold scarf. Harry waved at her and she nodded back to him. He was just about to land and talk to her when two things happened at once.

The first was normal enough. Hermione, Neville, and Ron walked into the stadium, waving up at Harry. The problem was they were not the only ones to arrive on the field. Boldly strutting towards a just-landing Oliver Wood were members of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Harry watched the seven figures in their green and silver uniforms as they stopped to stand in front of Oliver.

Zooming across the field, Harry landed so hard that the ground beneath his feet gave slightly. "What's all this?"

"I was just telling your captain about the brooms that were donated to our team by an alumnus," answered the hulking figure of Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch captain.

Harry looked at the brooms that the six large boys were carrying. He recognized them from his trip to Diagon Alley that summer. While passing Quality Quidditch Supplies, Neville had pointed out the new Nimbus 2001 broom that was on display. It had not really impressed Harry, as further reading had shown him that the 2001 was really not that big an improvement over his 2000.

"What's all this?" asked Ron as he and the others walked onto the field. "What's Malfoy doing here?"

Looking closer at the six Slytherin players, Harry finally noticed the seventh smaller boy standing behind them. Stepping forward, Malfoy sneered at the Gryffindor students. It was that sneer more than anything else that truly pissed Harry off.

"Good question, Ron," said Harry in a low and serious tone of voice. "What are you doing here Malfoy?"

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Potter," drawled Malfoy. "We thought it was about time this school saw what a real seeker looked like."

"That makes sense," laughed Neville. "I mean we know Harry is the best, so you are here to show them what the worst looks like."

Malfoy's face went red and he sputtered like a broken tea kettle as everyone except his teammates laughed at him. "Shut it, Longbottom! What would you know about Quidditch? Not like your father was around to teach you how to play! How are your parents, by the way? Still pissing themselves in St. Mungo's?"

Harry saw Neville lunge at Malfoy just in time to grab hold of the enraged boy. As hard as it was to hold Neville, Harry could not help but think that now would be a good time for his father's gift to kick in. If not for Fred, George, and Ron helping to hold Neville back, the enraged boy would have knocked Harry away with little difficulty.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Longbottom," laughed Malfoy, his teammates also laughing. "Did I say something to upset you?"

"You're despicable, Malfoy," Hermione said from where she stood next to Angelina Johnson.

"Like I care what Potter's Mudblood whore has to say," spat Malfoy.

The group of students went completely silent at Malfoy's words. Harry could hear every sound around him from the birds chirping to the gentle breeze rustling through the grass. It was like the world had slowed down around him as Harry released Neville and turned towards Malfoy. He watched everyone moving as if they were moving in slow motion, but he barely noticed. Walking up to Malfoy Harry reached out a hand for the pale boy. It would be so easy to punch Malfoy, but that would never hurt as much as what Harry had in mind.

Perenelle was running as fast as she could towards the group of students on the field. Mr. Knight had warned her that something might happen during the practice, but she had thought he meant a simple fight. The amount of pure magic that was rolling off the field convinced her that she had been wrong. Her only fear was she would be too late to stop something horrible from happening. The blood curdling scream she heard coming from the middle of the students only made her run faster.

The sight that greeted her however was not what she had expected. Draco Malfoy was lying on the ground with his pants and underwear around his ankles. What appeared to be two halves of a broom had been used to stake the boy's sleeves to the ground. Everyone was laughing now, even the Slytherin students.

"Wow, Malfoy." said Angelina Johnson. "I've never seen such a small "wand" before. You sure it even works?"

"That's enough!" exclaimed Perenelle. "Would someone like to explain this to me?"

With a wave of her wand, Perenelle released Draco from the ground. The mortified boy quickly pulled his robes down to cover himself then stood up and ran from the field. The other Slytherin Quidditch players began shouting about how Harry had attacked Draco, though none of them knew how he had done it.

"Is this true, Mr. Potter?" asked Perenelle.

"Yes, Professor," replied Harry defiantly. "Malfoy insulted my friends and I reacted without thinking."

"Malfoy didn't do anything!" shouted Marcus Flint. "Potter is lying just to cover his own arse!"

Perenelle turned to look at the hulking boy and he immediately became quiet as she spoke. "You will not shout at me again, Mr. Flint. As acting Head of Slytherin, I have no tolerance for rude behavior. Do I make myself clear?"

All six Slytherin boys nodded and Perenelle turned back to Harry. "Were you the one to break Mr. Malfoy's broom and publicly humiliate him in front of his follow students?'

Harry nodded his head and looked Perenelle in the eyes. "I debated punching him, but I thought this might leave a more lasting impression."

"Malfoy called Hermione something really horrible," blurted Ron. "And he said some foul things about Neville's parents as well,"

Perenelle turned back to Marcus Flint. "Is this true, Mr. Flint? Tell me the truth or you'll be off this team faster than a niffler finds gold."

Marcus Flint looked horrified by the prospect of being thrown off the Slytherin team. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was his own Head of House threatening him. Whatever the reason the large boy looked down at his feet and nodded his head. The Gryffindor students all looked in awe as Perenelle began speaking again.

"When I agreed to take over as Slytherin's Head of House, it was on the condition that Dumbledore allow me to do what I thought best to end the atrocious behavior that had been going on." Perenelle nearly shouted at the now scared looking Slytherin students. "You have all tried at one point or another to get around me and failed each time. This is the last time I am warning any of you, so pass it onto the rest of the house. I will not tolerate this behavior any longer! If one more of you acts in such a manner as happened here today, I will give detentions to EVERY member of Slytherin AND wipe all the house points clean! You WILL stand together with honor, or you WILL all suffer the consequences! Do I make myself one hundred percent clear?"

"Yes, Professor Flamel!" shouted all six Slytherin boys.

"Good," she replied with a smile now on her face. "Now that will be twenty points from Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's behavior, and five points each for you boys for not stopping him."

Turning to Harry again, Perenelle sighed. "Mr. Potter, I appreciate your honesty regarding your actions. However, publicly humiliating a fellow student and damaging their personal property is not acceptable."

"Yes, Professor," said Harry, dreading what was coming.

"I'm glad you understand," continued Perenelle. "I expect you to replace Mr. Malfoy's broom with a matching model. You will also serve detention with me tonight in my office and I will be taking fifty points from Gryffindor for your actions. As there was provocation, I will not take points from anyone else on the Gryffindor team. Take this as a warning, though, and don't let it happen again."

"Yes Ma'am," chorused the Gryffindor students, including Harry.

Perenelle escorted her Slytherin students from the field as Harry and the others watched. They soon returned to the castle where Professor McGonagall informed Harry that his detention would begin at eight that night. Harry cringed under the cold stare McGonagall gave him, but he knew he deserved it.

"How the bloody hell did you break Malfoy's broom?" asked Ron once they all returned to the Gryffindor common room.

"Language, Ron," snapped Hermione. "He does have a good question though."

Harry smiled and explained to them everything Mr. Knight had told him the day before. Hermione was soon taking notes while Neville and Ron just stared at Harry in awe. Soon Harry finished telling his story and he waited to see their reaction.

"If the price hadn't been so high, I would say it was the coolest thing I ever heard," said Neville after a short silence. "I just don't think losing your parents was worth it."

"It's cool in that your parents loved you so much, Harry," added Ron. "Neville is right; it's not exactly a fair trade, now is it?"

Hermione sighed, then crumpled up her notes and tossed them into the nearby fireplace. "Nothing could be worth losing my parents, not even magic like that."

Harry felt closer to his friends at that moment than he ever had before. "I knew you guys would understand."

"Too right," agreed Neville. "Family is always more important, no matter what."

The four of them sat and talked until it was lunch time. After a quick meal they all headed to Hagrid's to visit. Hagrid was always good for a few fun hours and his stories about the wild creatures he had seen kept even Hermione interested. He even told them a few stories of when their parents had been at Hogwarts. Hermione could not exactly relate since her parents were Muggles, but she did find the stories very amusing.

As they walked back towards the castle, Harry slowed down to walk beside Hermione. She had been acting very interested in everything they had been saying, even laughing when called for, but Harry thought it all seemed a bit forced. Hermione was a very sensitive girl, no matter what others might think. Harry suspected that Malfoy's words had affected her more than she let on.

"You're not, you know," Harry said softly so only she would hear. "Malfoy is just a prat. He hurts people just to make himself feel better about himself."

"I know that, Harry," replied Hermione, her voice sounding thick and a bit watery. "My whole life I've been called names because I'm smart and I like to study. It doesn't help that I'm not exactly what you would call pretty. I should be used to it by now, but I'm not."

Harry stopped walking and reached out for Hermione's hand, pulling her to a stop. "I don't care what anyone says, Hermione. You are the smartest person I know."

"But not the prettiest?" snickered Hermione playfully.

"Funny," laughed Harry. "If I were you, I'd ask Ron that question."

"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione, swatting his arm. "That's not funny!"

With a wink, Harry turned away from her. "Who was trying to be funny?"

After returning to his dorm room, Harry wrote a letter to Sirius explaining his detention and the reason he needed to borrow enough money to pay for a new broom. He rather doubted his uncles were going to be happy about it, but better to be honest than try to hide anything. Of course, he doubted he really could hide anything from them. When he was done, he took the letter to the Owlery and soon watched Hedwig flying away with it.

"_Sirius is going to be pissed_," he thought as Hedwig vanished in the distance.

The rest of the afternoon and dinner that night was spent with his friends. Harry tried not to think about how Sirius would react to his actions or about his detention that night. All too soon he found himself knocking on Professor Flamel's door, wondering what she would have in store for him.

"Come in, Harry," called Professor Flamel.

Harry entered the Potions Mistress' office with a sense of dread. Oddly enough he felt much better once he saw the inside of the room. Unlike the other offices belonging to teachers that Harry had seen, this one felt more like a home than anything else. There was no desk in the room, only comfortable looking chairs and several tables and lamps. It looked like the family room in any ordinary house, not the office of a teacher.

"Have a seat, Harry," said the professor from where she was sitting by the fireplace. "Would you like some tea?"

Taking a seat in one of the comfortable looking armchairs, Harry nodded his acceptance of the offer of tea. Perenelle waved her wand and a platter with two cups of tea and a plate of biscuits appeared on the table next to Perenelle. The professor handed a cup to Harry and then took the other for herself.

"I would like to start off by saying that I am rather disappointed in how you dealt with the situation today, Harry," she said gently. "No matter the reason, publicly humiliating someone is never the solution."

"Yes, Professor," agreed Harry, hanging his head as he spoke.

"On the other hand," continued Perenelle. "If I had heard my friend called such a foul and slanderous name, I would have done much the same."

"What?" asked a shocked Harry,

"Loyalty to one's friends is a very noble thing," replied Perenelle. "You are probably one of the best and noblest friends I have ever seen."

Harry felt his cheeks warm at the compliment, but tried to hide it. "I just don't like people hurting my friends."

"I know, Harry," Perenelle said with a smile. "That brings me to the next topic. I'm sure you're familiar with Ginny Weasley?"

Harry nodded, wondering where this was coming from, but Perenelle continued before he could ask. "Miss Weasley is a very special person. Not only is she a gifted witch, she is also an incredible loving person."

"Yes she is," agreed Harry.

"I'm glad you agree," Perenelle said with another smile. "This year has been hard on her. I fear it will grow even harder should things continue as they have been."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Professor."

Perenelle leaned forward and looked Harry in the eyes intently. "Ginny carries a hard burden this year, Harry. A burden that some believe only she can carry. However, I do not agree with them."

Feeling rather confused, Harry tried to find the right words to express himself. "What does this have to do with me, Professor? I mean…I just don't understand what you're talking about."

Perenelle nodded sadly and reached into her robes, pulling out what looked like a Muggle pack of cigarettes. "My only vice. Living for over six hundred years you would think I would have given them up, but old habits die hard. Unfortunately, all my habits are old."

Pulling out one of the long white cigarettes, Perenelle lit it with the end of her wand and took a long draw from it. She exhaled a thick bluish smoke and watched it as it was sucked into the fireplace. Harry watched all of this curiously. He had a feeling he was not going to like what she had to tell him.

"In my life I've seen many things," Perenelle said softly. "Some good and some bad I'm afraid. The worst was always watching the innocent suffer."

Harry remained silent as he watched her take another draw from the cigarette before she continued. "There never seems to be a way to stop the innocent from suffering, and it gets harder to watch each time. Whether it's a Muggle war, a magical conflict, or a small frightened child, it breaks my heart."

Not really knowing what to say, Harry sipped his tea as he listened. He could not understand how anyone could cope with seeing so much over the course of a single lifetime, let alone six hundred years of it. It made all of his troubles seem so small by comparison.

Taking another draw from her cigarette, Perenelle smiled at Harry once again. "Did anyone ever tell you that I knew your father and mother?"

"No, ma'am," Harry said quietly.

"Well I did," she said with a sad looking grin. "They were wonderful people. You look very much like them. You resemble your father, but your eyes are Lily's eyes."

"That's what my uncles tell me," whispered Harry, his chest tight with emotion.

"Your father was such a funny man, but also very caring," she continued. "As for your mother, I've never met anyone as talented or gentle. They loved you so much, Harry. Never doubt that for an instant."

His eyes filled with tears as Harry nodded. His uncles had told him about his parents many times, but hearing it from someone else made it seem more real to Harry. Still, a part of him wondered how Ginny was connected to this tale about his parents. Perenelle must have noticed his confusion because she tossed her cigarette into the fireplace and sighed.

"I know your friend, Mr. Knight," she said after a slight pause. "He is trying to change the outcome of the coming war, but he is walking a very fine line. If he makes a mistake, everything could go horribly wrong. This year, and the events that happen during it, are one such case. No matter what he may personally want, he is being forced to make choices he would not otherwise even consider. Ginny is at the center of those choices."

Feeling his anger building, Harry wiped the tears from his eyes. "What choices? What does Ginny have to do with this year?"

"Calm down, Harry," replied Perenelle in a soothing voice. "I'm here to make sure nothing happens to her, but she needs more than just a concerned old woman. Ginny needs a friend. More specifically, she needs you."

"She said she never wanted to talk to me again," interrupted Harry. "She ignores me when I see her and walks out of the room when I'm around."

Perenelle nodded, her eyes gleaming now. "The question you need to ask yourself is why? Why does she feel that way and what can you do to stop it?"

Harry was about to say something when he heard a strange hissing voice. Perenelle instantly stiffened as the voice filled the room. Straining to hear the voice, Harry could only make out something about being free and wanting to kill. It made the hair on his neck stand up, but he could not hear the voice clearly.

"It is beginning, Harry," Perenelle said sadly. "You have to stop this. It's your destiny to stand between him and the innocents in this school. People will die if you don't. Ginny will die if you don't stop it!"

Harry stood up, glaring at Perenelle as her words sank in. Without waiting for permission, he walked out of the room and into the hallway. The voice was clearer now. There was no mistaking the threat of violence and death that it promised Harry's friends and fellow students. Turning towards Gryffindor Tower, Harry whispered only five words, but they were spoken with an incredible amount of determination.

"I will not allow it!"


	9. Chapter 8: Halloween Aftermath

Hello Everyone,

I'm back… and that's all I'm going to say about that.

I'll be adding more chapters as I finish typing them up. I already have two more ready, and a third is halfay complete. Hopefully this second and last half of the story will be better received than the first part was.

I hope to post some other projects soon. Some of you will get to read them, but those of you on SIYE might not. We'll see what happens.

Thanks again to my wonderful betas, C & J. I owe you lovely ladies so much. :)

Now, on to the reading and the reviewing.

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**Chapter 8: Halloween Aftermath**

Ginny was tired. No, tired did not really describe how she felt. If she really wanted to put how she felt into words then the word would have been empty. Every day she felt like a little more of her soul had been scraped out and thrown away, although why it felt like that to her was beyond Ginny. People were even starting to notice that something was wrong with her. Just yesterday Gwen and Colin had commented on how tired she looked, and Percy had nearly dragged her off to see Madame Pomfrey. Thankfully he had been distracted when a third year student accidentally set fire to his robes, allowing Ginny to make a hasty retreat. It was only because of things like that and all the excitement around the school recently that kept Ginny on her feet most of the time, and even then it did not always work.

The excitement had all started with Harry breaking Draco Malfoy's broom. Everyone was talking about how breaking a Nimbus 2001 was supposed to be nearly impossible, but Harry had done it with his bare hands. Professor Flamel had required Harry to replace Malfoy's broom, but that had not been the end of it. The same day Malfoy's broom arrived, so had twenty-one other brand new Nimbus 2001 brooms. Every member of the Hogwarts' Quidditch house teams, with the exception of the Slytherins, had been given a new broom thanks to an anonymous alumni member. Needless to say, Slytherin house was not happy about the sudden leveling of the playing field, but everyone else was thrilled. Ginny had her suspicions about who had provided the brooms, but since she was no longer talking to Harry or his uncles she was unable to confirm her theory.

Then there had been the minor drama with Hermione's birthday. For the older girl's birthday Ron had given her an adorable stuffed teddy bear. While Ginny had thought it was an incredibly sweet gift, especially coming from her brother Ron, Hermione had chased Harry from the common room and through the school. It was only when Professor McGonagall stopped her from chasing Harry into the Forbidden Forest that Hermione calmed down enough to return and thank Ron for his gift. Poor Ron had been afraid he had offended Hermione with his gift, thinking she was upset with him. When Hermione returned to the common room Ron was actually in the process of taking his gift back. Hermione stopped him though, and let Ron know that she really did like his gift. Ginny still giggled whenever she remembered how Ron had blushed after Hermione had hugged him and kissed his cheek. Lavender Brown, another second year girl, assured Ginny that the teddy bear had never left Hermione's bed since that day.

Then there was Harry. Ginny had been trying to talk to him ever since her conversation with Professor Flamel. What really frustrated her most about the situation was that she could not actually find anyone to blame for her lack of opportunity. It just so happened that each and every time she tried to talk to Harry, something or someone always got in the way. Any time she got close to him, fate just seemed to drag her away from him, kicking and screaming. It was annoying, and more than a little frustrating, but she could not think of anything to do about it. She just could not help but feel that she and Harry were being kept apart for some reason.

Many nights Ginny would talk to Tom about her worries, but he usually said it was just her overactive imagination that was seeing darker motives. As far as Tom was concerned, it was just a matter of coincidence and nothing more. Ginny tended to believe him. He had yet to really lead her astray. In fact, thanks to his diet advice, Ginny had lost all of her baby fat over the last few weeks. Of course, she wondered if she had overdone it a bit because now her face looked pale and gaunt all the time.

_**Don't worry, Ginny,**_ Tom would often say. _**You won't have to worry about these things for long. In no time at all you'll be past caring about them.**_

Ginny was not sure what he meant by that, but she figured he must be talking about her growing older. He had been right about the dreams getting better, something she was very grateful for. Tom's suggestion that she play along with the dreams had worked beautifully and they had eventually turned from nightmares to more manageable fantasies. Now instead of dreaming of that horrible cavern and the terrifying statue, Ginny dreamed about talking to Harry in a special language that only they understood, though he never actually spoke to her. In the dreams she was trying to make Harry laugh so he would open his mouth. She was unsure what would happen when he finally did speak to her, but Ginny thought it might so she could kiss him.

Stopping her wandering thoughts right there, Ginny realized she was back to thinking about her favorite topic, Harry. Everything she did these days seemed to be about him in one way or another. Whether it was trying to lose weight so he would notice her, or dreaming about him each and every night, Ginny's life revolved around Harry. It was actually rather strange that Harry was more important to her now considering she never talked to him anymore. Not that she did not want to.

Rolling over on her bed, Ginny looked out one of the windows in her room. She had managed to escape from Gwen and Colin for a little while. Ginny did not normally dislike studying, but the fact that she had been at it since after breakfast that morning was almost more than she could take. Saturday mornings, in her opinion, were for sleeping in and watching Quidditch. Unfortunately, Gwen did not feel the same way, and the fact that tonight was the Halloween feast was all the excuse Ginny's friend needed to drive them to finishing their homework early. Ginny had only secured her escape by rushing through two essays. Then, and only then, had Gwen said she could take a short nap before lunch, but Ginny was not tired.

Instead, Ginny lay on her bed, her thoughts running wild, and wondering what she should do about Harry. On the one had she wanted to talk to him so badly that she felt the need almost as an ache in her chest. Yet she felt like there was something holding her back. Call it a voice in the back of her mind, but something seemed to tell her that the time was not right each time she decided to talk to Harry. It felt like a constant battle was being waged in Ginny's mind between the part of her that wanted to be with Harry and another part that seemed to want to keep her away from him. It was so confusing to her.

"Are you listening to me?"

Ginny turned around and for the first time noticed that Gwen was standing behind her. "I'm sorry, Gwen. I was a million years away."

Gwen nodded with a small smile. "You were thinking of Harry again, weren't you?"

"Maybe," Ginny answered with a guilty look on her face. "I just miss talking to him so much."

"Then you should just go and talk to him, Ginny."

"I want to, I really do," Ginny answered, rolling over and sitting up on her bed. "I'm just afraid he'll be angry with me."

Gwen shook her head and sighed. "Are you really that daft? I don't think Harry could be angry with you even if he tried, which he never would."

"But how can you know that?" asked Ginny.

Gwen looked a little ashamed as she answered. "I actually asked Harry's friend Neville about it. He said Harry misses you a lot and wishes he could talk to you."

Ginny was completely shocked, stunned, and appalled that Gwen had gone behind her back to speak with one of Harry's friends about her. Of course, she was also ecstatic that Harry missed her and was not angry at her. Of all the things she had hoped for, that was the one she had wanted the most. To be able to talk to her best friend again, and maybe to forget all about the events of the last few months had been her fondest desire for weeks now. Ginny could not be angry with Gwen after giving her such good news.

Hoping out of bed, Ginny ran over to Gwen and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much!"

"What are friends for?" Gwen replied, hugging Ginny back just as tightly.

If Ginny noticed the slight note of sadness in Gwen's voice as she spoke then it was quickly forgotten. Together they walked down to the common room to meet up with Colin again. They headed down to the Great Hall for lunch, babbling amongst themselves about nothing and everything all at once. Ginny did not care what they spoke of. All she knew was as soon as she saw Harry she was going to run to him and tell him exactly how much she had missed him. When they entered the Great Hall and took their seats Ginny looked around for Harry but he was not there. She supposed he was at Quidditch practice or something like that. It did not matter to her because she would wait for him as long as it took.

She had just begun to eat when she first started feeling ill. It was a headache that seemed to ring in her ears and dim her vision. Soon she felt her stomach churning, and her skin turning clammy. Closing her eyes, Ginny gripped the edge of the table and took several deep breaths trying to steady her rolling stomach. The room seemed to be spinning and Ginny felt an urge to run from the room.

"Ginny?" she heard Colin ask through the ringing in her ears. "Are you ok?"

"No," she moaned, trying not to open her mouth too much. "Feel sick all of a sudden."

Gwen reached over and touched Ginny's forehead. "You're all cold and clammy, Gin. Maybe you should go see Madame Pomfrey."

"I think you're right," Ginny agreed. "Finish your lunch and I'll go see her now."

Not waiting for their reply, Ginny got up and ran from the room. She really did intend to go see Madame Pomfrey, but her feet seemed to have other ideas. Before she knew what she was doing, she had run back up to Gryffindor Tower and her room. She grabbed Tom's diary from its hiding space under her bed before running back out of the room and down the stairs. In moments she was flying down the stairs to the second floor, and the disused bathroom there. Ginny was unsure of why she would run to this place, but it seemed as if her body was working on its own rather than at her command.

As soon as she was inside the bathroom Ginny ran to the stall nearest the doors and stepped inside. She sat down on the old and dirty toilet without even thinking about it, and pulled the diary out of the pocket she had shoved it in. From another pocket she grabbed one of her favorite self-inking quills and opened the book to start writing. The words were jumbled and confused as she wrote, making no sense at all but seeming instead to just be a reflex reaction to opening the diary. After several long minutes of this, Ginny felt her eyes growing heavy just as Tom began to write back.

_**So good of you to come when I called, Ginevra**_, read Tom's words as they appeared on the page_**. We have so very much to do today.**_

Unable to keep her eyes open any longer, Ginny fell into a deep sleep and began to dream the same dream she had every night. In the dream she was sitting on an old wooden swing that hung from a beautiful old tree. The tree itself was on the top of a tall cliff overlooking a beautiful valley. A sparkling water slide was a short distance away from where she stood, and she wondered what it would be like to slide down it to the valley below. Not knowing how she knew it, Ginny was sure that Harry was waiting for her down there in the valley. Standing up, Ginny pushed a low hanging branch out of her way and walked over to the edge of the rushing water. A small snake guarded the water, but he crawled down into his hole when she asked him to move aside for her.

As soon as the snake was gone, Ginny leapt into the warm water slide. The ride down was a long one, but she enjoyed every moment of it as she knew it was taking her closer to Harry. Then she landed in the shallow pool of crystal clear water at the bottom of the water slide and walked through the water to the edge of the pool. At the shore she could see the edge of the woods and a long path that led through the trees. Ginny did not even pause as she ran down the wooded path, laughing happily the entire way. When she reached the end of the path, two more little snakes blocked her way, but they nicely moved out of her way as the other had when she asked them to.

Stepping past the two snakes Ginny found herself in a large sunlit meadow. On either side of the clearing were tall trees that almost seemed to hold up the sky. However Ginny barely noticed them because she could see Harry waiting for her on the far side of the meadow. Ginny ran towards him, stopping just short of where he stood with his lips tightly sealed, but a smile on his face.

"Hello, Harry," she said to him with a smile. "I've really missed you. I really wish you would talk to me today."

"You know he wants to, Ginny," whispered a familiar voice in her ear. "Harry desperately wants to talk to you as well, but he can't until you find a way to make him open his mouth."

Ginny nodded, accepting what the whispered voice told her. It seemed a little strange to her, but she wanted to talk to harry so badly that she was willing to do whatever she had to. So she began talking to Harry trying to find the right thing to say that would make him finally open his mouth. She tried everything she could to make him speak, but nothing worked. It seemed like hours that she stood there pleading with him, but never giving up hope that she would find the right thing to say. With each try her desperation grew, until finally she broke down crying and fell to her knees.

"Please," she begged, looking up at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please won't you open your mouth and speak to me?"

Harry's face suddenly seemed to light up as Ginny watched his mouth slowly begin to open. A cold laugh filled the meadow as Ginny stared in growing horror at Harry's face. Instead of a tongue, Ginny saw a dark shape squirming around inside Harry's mouth and she screamed. Closing her eyes tightly, Ginny collapsed to the ground beneath her but a moment later she felt as if she were standing again.

"Perfectly done," whispered the familiar voice again, only now it sounded cold. "Sleep now, Ginevra. I have much work to do."

When Ginny next opened her eyes she found herself looking up at the red drapes that surrounded her bed. She had no memory of how she had gotten back to her bed. The last thing she remembered was sitting in the Great Hall with Gwen and Colin. That had been just after noon, but now she could see the pitch black sky though the window next to her bed. She had no idea what had happened between then and now other than a vague memory of not feeling well. Had she really blanked out for several hours?

"_Was I so sick that I came up here and passed out?" _Ginny asked herself as she crawled out of bed.

Looking down at herself in the dark room, Ginny could see that she was still wearing the clothes she had worn that day. Trying not to wake her roommates she quickly grabbed her favorite blue nightgown and made her way silently towards the bathroom. Making sure that the door was firmly closed behind her, Ginny turned up the lamps in the room. Going to her shelf next to the mirror, Ginny grabbed her bath things before turning towards the mirror. Her reflection in the mirror shocked her.

The sight she saw in the mirror shocked her. Ginny was covered in dirt and red paint. Her clothes looked as if she had rolled around in a swamp, and her hair was matted and tangled. She could not even begin to imagine what she had done to be so filthy and why she would have crawled into bed in such a state. A voice in the back of her mind screamed that something was seriously wrong, but Ginny did not seem to be able to hear it. Another voice, a man's voice, whispered that she should just ignore the fact that something was wrong.

"_Don't think about it, Ginny,"_ whispered the familiar voice from her dreams. _"It's nothing you need to be worried about. You are just dreaming all of this. Clean up and go back to bed."_

For a few moments the two voices vied for her attention, each trying to drown out the other. Eventually the whispered voice of the man won out, and Ginny accepted what it was telling her. As she accepted what it said, Ginny undressed and readied her shower. As the water heated she worked on repairing several rips and tears in her clothes. Once she was done doing that she cast several other charms to clean away the dirt and paint until her clothes looked as good as new. When she was done, Ginny climbed in to the shower and began scrubbing at her skin and hair until all traces of dirt and paint was gone.

"_It's a good thing Mum taught me all those cleaning and mending charms,"_ she thought to herself and she rinsed the last of the soap and shampoo away. _"I might only be dreaming, but Mum would never forgive me for leaving my clothes such a mess."_

Turning off the shower, Ginny quickly dried herself off before wrapping the towel around her hair. She quickly got dressed for bed before she put her things away and picked up her clothes. Then Ginny turned down the lamps and made her way silently back to her bed. Reaching her bed, Ginny dumped her clothing into the dirty clothes basket before she crawled back into her bed. Pulling the towel off her head, Ginny reached over to her nightstand and crabbed her brush to begin working on the knots she had been unable to wash out. Her final act of the night was to cast a quick cleaning charm on her sheets before she tied back her hair and crawled under her blankets.

As Ginny drifted off to sleep she was aware that the screaming voice in the back of her head was still trying to make her understand something was wrong, but Ginny did not seem to be able to focus on it. It was like something was standing between her and that screaming voice, whispering soothing words that seemed to dull her ability to worry about the events of the day. By the time she was asleep, Ginny had almost completely forgotten about everything.

Ginny opened her eyes again, only now she was fully aware that she was in a dream. She was standing in the middle of the Great Hall and two figures were standing at its opposite ends. The figure closest to the doors was Harry. He looked sad as he stood there, but he made no sound as he looked at her. The other figure was making enough sound to make up for Harry's silence. Standing in front of the teachers' long table was an older looking boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. He was rather handsome; though Ginny was not fond of the Slytherin robes he was wearing. Ginny could not understand what he was shouting at her, though she thought he was demanding that she walk over to him.

Something about the shouting boy bothered Ginny even though he seemed very familiar to her. Ginny felt slightly afraid of the shouting boy and she could not see herself running to him. Maybe that was all the decision that she needed to make because she suddenly turned her back on the strangely familiar boy and ran towards Harry. Harry still looked at her sadly, but he held his arms open wide for her as she ran to him. Throwing her arms around his waist, Ginny felt Harry's arms enfold her and she felt safer than she had felt in months. She felt Harry lean down and kiss the top of her head. It was only then that Ginny heard him speak to her.

In a clear and firm voice Harry said, "I will always be here for you, Ginny. No matter what you may think, I am here for you and love you. If you ever need me, you only have to ask and I will be there."

Those were the words Ginny heard as she opened her eyes. For the first time in weeks Ginny felt rested and happy as she crawled out of her bed. The room was empty, the others obviously having already gotten up and headed down for breakfast. That was fine with Ginny because for just a moment as she looked around the room, the sunlight pouring in through the windows reminded her of her room back at home and she felt her worries and concerns fade away. Ginny quickly got dressed, feeling a lightness that she had not felt in ages.

Walking downstairs Ginny found the common room empty, which was a little strange on a Sunday morning, but she decided not to worry about it. She glanced at the timepiece on the fireplace mantle and saw she still had time to get some breakfast if she hurried. That probably explained where everyone was, so she skipped out of the portrait hole and down through the castle until she reached the great hall.

"_I really want pancakes today," _she thought to herself as she pushed open the doors. _"Just like the ones Mum makes on Sundays."_

Up in Ginny's dorm room, tucked away in her bookbag, Tom was not happy. Although he had managed to open Slytherin's chamber and release the beast within by tricking Ginny, things had not gone well. No sooner had Tom taken full control of Ginny's body than she had begun to resist him again. On some level that he could not understand, Ginny's infatuation with Harry Potter had protected her the moment she realized that something was not right. Tom had barely had time to reach the surface and scrawl a hasty message on the wall outside the Chamber's entrance before he was forced to command the beast back to the Chamber. Tom almost found it fitting that his first release of the creature had as its only victim an old cat that wandered by at the wrong time. It was only sheer luck that allowed him to return Ginny to her room and Obliviate her memories before he completely lost control of her.

It was so infuriating that he, the last descendent of Salazar Slytherin, should be unable to control a mere girl. She should have been a slave to his will the moment that he first touched her mind, but instead she fought him at every turn and did not even know she was doing it. It seemed that her silly little schoolgirl crush on the ridiculously lucky Harry Potter gave her enough hope that she could resist him. Harry Potter, the source of all Tom's problems, was an obstacle that needed to be removed, and quickly. Once he was gone, and Ginny's hope was crushed, Tom would strike a final time and suck out the last of Ginny's life to make himself whole again.

"_She will surrender to me, and if I must take Harry Potter's life to do it, all the better,"_ Tom thought to himself. _"He was going to die anyway, once I had a true body again. Now I will just use his death to ensure my return."_

Tom began to think of ways to kill Harry Potter. He wanted it to not only crush Ginny's will to fight but to show the world that he, Lord Voldemort, was an unstoppable force. It would be a death that made up for any misguided hopes the world might have had that the boy was a savior. It must also be a death that assured Harry Potter would suffer untold agonies before he died.

"_Maybe at the hands of one who loves him,"_ Tom cooed to himself. _"How appropriate that he should die that way, at the hands of someone that claims they love him, proving once and for all that love is NOT the most powerful magic there is."_

Tom would have smiled at his own cunning if he had a body to smile with. However, he did laugh to himself, a cold and evil laugh that seemed to fill the dorm room with a chill even in its silence. It took him only minutes to decide upon a plan of action that he was sure could not fail. It would require sacrifice on Tom's part, and more deceit, but he was used to that. In the end Ginny would be his tool and Harry Potter would be dead. Then, when Ginny's spirit was completely crushed and vulnerable, Tom would suck the last of her life from her. As she and Harry Potter died, Tom would live.

"_No one will ever stand in my way again!"_

For her part, several floors below in the Great Hall, Ginny was oblivious to Tom's dark plans. She had stepped into a chaotic babble of voices when she opened the doors to the Great Hall, and she was still not sure she fully understood what was going on. As she fought her way through the throng of scared and nervous students, Ginny finally found her friends sitting at the far end of the Gryffindor table. Gwen looked pale and shaken as Colin sat next to her trying to calm the poor girl's nerves.

"What the heck is going on in here?" Ginny demanded as she sat down across from her friends.

Gwen and Colin looked up at Ginny as if she were insane before Gwen spoke. "How can you not know what's going on, Ginny? Everyone knows about Filch's cat being attacked last night."

"So?" shrugged Ginny. "We've all talked about kicking Mrs. Norris a time or two. What's the big deal that someone finally did it?"

Colin shook his head. "That's not what we're talking about, Ginny. Someone actually tried to kill Mrs. Norris. One of the prefects found her up on the second floor after the feast. Somebody Petrified her and then painted some strange message on the wall about a Chamber being opened and how the muggle-born students should beware."

Ginny felt her blood suddenly run cold and her palms turn clammy. "What did the message say, exactly?"

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware," quoted Gwen, shivering as she said it. "If that's not creepy enough, whoever wrote that on the wall used red paint that looked like blood. I hear the prefect that found it there thought that someone had killed Mrs. Norris and used her blood."

Colin snorted and then covered it up by acting like he had sneezed. "And I heard that he pissed himself after he saw the message. I have to say though, as much as I hated that blasted cat, no one deserves that. Filch is really torn up about it"

Ginny was not paying attention though because she was too busy freaking out. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she remembered waking up the night before covered in filth and red paint. As she sat there, staring at Colin and Gwen, Ginny felt the room begin to spin as her vision began to fade. All she could hear as she sat there was her own breathing and she wondered if she was going insane.

"GINNY!" screamed Gwen as Colin stood and started shouting something that Ginny could not understand.

Suddenly someone else was there, picking her up but she protested. "I'm fine. Put me down. I don't need any help."

"And I'm the king of England," said a familiar voice with a slight chuckle. "Colin and Gwen don't think you're fine, so we're going to see Madame Pomfrey."

"Harry?" Ginny said, her voice sounding far away to her own ears. "Are you really here?"

"I'm really here, Gin."

Opening her eyes, Ginny looked up at the one face she had wanted to see for ages. Harry was looking down at her with a smile on his face that felt so good to see again after so long. Reaching up, Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and rested her head against his shoulder. She kept telling herself that this was probably only a dream, but if it was then she did not care. This was Harry, her Harry, and he was there once again. She glanced over his shoulder long enough to see her brothers, Hermione, and Neville, along with Colin and Gwen, following along behind them. Gwen and Hermione wore huge smiles as tears rolled down their faces. Ginny wondered why they were crying, but she was too happy to be with Harry to really care at the moment. Not even her fears that she was involved in the events of the previous night could dampen her spirits now.

"Why?" Ginny asked weakly as Harry carried her out of the Hall.

"Why what, Gin?"

"Why are you here?" asked Ginny, her voice breaking. "I thought you didn't want me around anymore?"

"How could you ever think that?" Harry asked, looking down at her as he walked.

Like a floodgate had been opened, Ginny began to speak about all the things she had wanted to say to Harry for so very long. "Well you had Nymphadora and she's so much prettier than me. Then she said she loved you. She even said she would wait for you to grow up. I knew I couldn't compete with her, so I left. I mean I'm just a silly little girl and she's a beautiful woman. Then you sent that letter saying to stay away from you and I knew I had lost my chance with you. I was so hurt, and I felt like I had been betrayed by the one person I really cared about. I just gave up."

Her voice trailed off as her breath gave out and she wondered if maybe she had said too much. Harry remained silent for several heartbeats as Ginny began to think he had changed his mind about being there for her. Then, slowly and barely noticeable at first, Ginny felt Harry begin to shake. She wondered if he was growing tired from the strain of carrying her and was just about to ask that he put her down when Ginny finally understood what was happening. Harry began was laughing at her, and that hurt her more than anything else he could have ever done to her. At least it did until he kissed her forehead.

"Silly little thing," Harry whispered to her. "Tonks is in love with my Uncle Remus, and has been from the day she first laid eyes on him."

"Really?" Ginny asked excitedly, looking up at Harry to see if maybe he was teasing her.

"Really," answered Harry, leaning down and kissing her forehead again. "As far as the letter you saw, well, I know I never wrote a letter like that. I tried writing to you over and over again and never had any indication that you even got them. Your mum even tried to deliver one for me, but I never knew if you got it or not. Believe me, Ginny; I never wanted you to go away. My life hasn't been right since we stopped talking."

Ginny was sobbing by now, and all of her mistakes were clearly visible to her. There had been so many of them since she had run away from Harry's home without talking to him. As they entered the hospital wing, Ginny realized that Harry had never betrayed her. Now guilt filled her mind and her tears fell faster and harder, at least until Harry sat her down on one of the empty beds and kneeled in front of her.

"Why are you still crying, Ginny?"

"I messed everything up," sobbed Ginny, her entire body shaking.

Still kneeling in front of her, Harry reached up and wiped the tears from Ginny's face. "You didn't mess anything up, Gin. I promise."

Ginny was interrupted at that point by the arrival of Madame Pomfrey. "What have we got here, Mr. Potter?"

"She wasn't feeling well," Harry answered promptly, taking one of Ginny's hands in his.

Madame Pomfrey nodded and looked down at Ginny. "What exactly is wrong Miss Weasley?"

Ginny suddenly felt all her worries about possibly being responsible for the attack on Mrs. Norris come crashing down on her again. Her heart was beating in her chest so fast that she could barely count the individual beats and she could not seem to catch her breath. Once again the world seemed to be going dim, and Ginny could not seem to speak thought she tried. Feeling that her eyelids were too heavy to keep open any longer, Ginny closed her eyes and felt her worries start to fade into the darkness. The only thing that she could still feel clearly was Harry's hand holding hers.

"Miss Weasley?"

"Ginny!"

Suddenly Ginny felt herself falling forward only to be caught by someone. She was not sure who it was that caught her, but she felt safe in those arms and there was a part of her that never wanted to be separated from them. It was only when she heard a woman's voice telling the owner of those arms to leave that Ginny forced herself to open her eyes again.

"Don't make Harry leave," she said weakly. "I just got him back. Please, don't take him from me? Please, don't leave me, Harry?"

Madame Pomfrey made a sound of disapproval before saying anything. "This is very unusual, Miss Weasley. I am not in the habit of letting people, especially young men, stay in the room when I am examining female students."

"Don't take him from me," Ginny pleaded, her eyes slowly closing again.

"I'll take my glasses off and turn to face the wall," volunteered Harry wanting to stay with Ginny.

"Alright, Mr. Potter," conceded Madame Pomfrey. "I'll allow it just this one time, but if I catch you peeking I'll make sure you spend the rest of the year in detention."

"Yes, ma'am," agreed Harry, then he whispered softly to Ginny. "I'm not going anywhere, Gin."

Ginny did not know how long she had been asleep, but when she woke up she saw Madame Pomfrey standing beside her. The older woman was talking to someone that Ginny could not see, but the other person's voice sounded familiar to her. It took Ginny a moment to realize that it was the voice of Professor Flamel. The two women were talking in barely audible whispers, but Ginny recognized the tone as being the same one her mother used when she was worried about something. It was only when Professor Flamel turned to leave that Ginny realized there was someone else in the room. Harry was sitting on her other side, his back turned to her also, with her hand held tightly in his own.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, Miss Weasley," said Madame Pomfrey when she turned back around. Would you care to explain to me why you are severely malnourished?"

"I was dieting?"

Ginny had not meant it to sound like a question, but the look on Madame Pomfrey's face was so fierce that Ginny knew the woman would not be happy with her answer. For his part, Harry remained silent, only cringing slightly when he heard Ginny's explanation. Ginny squeezed his hand hoping to make him feel better. Harry squeezed her hand back, but Ginny could tell he was not happy.

"You call starving yourself a diet?" scoffed Madame Pomfrey. "You are at least fifteen pounds underweight, Miss Weasley. Your throat and mouth show signs of repeated regurgitation. I can only guess that this 'diet' of yours had something to do with purging your system after every meal. Am I correct?"

"Well…" Ginny began, feeling embarrassed that Harry had to hear all this, but not wanting him to leave either. "I heard about this Muggle diet that their celebrities used to lose weight. I figured if they used it to look prettier, why couldn't I?"

"Miss Weasley, how could you be so foolish?" asked the older woman, her expression highly disapproving. "That is not a diet. That is an eating disorder called bulimia and it can cause severe health problems, not to mention death."

"What?"

"You heard me, you foolish girl," barked Madame Pomfrey. "Those foolish Muggles throw their health away for the silliest of reasons. I would have hoped that a smart witch like you would have known better than to throw her heath away."

Ginny felt her eyes fill with tears as she listened to Madame Pomfrey continue. "I will be keeping you here for the next several days so I can monitor your health. Professor Flamel was nice enough to provide me with a potion that will help reverse the damage you have done to yourself. I will be putting you on a special diet to help you gain some weight. I also want you to get more exercise, something that Mr. Potter has already agreed to help you with."

"We'll be going on walks together around the castle," explained Harry without turning around.

"Really?" Ginny asked, feeling her cheeks flush red. "You would do that for me, Harry?"

"There's not much I wouldn't do for you, Gin," answered Harry without any hesitation.

"Yes, that's all fine and good," said Madame Pomfrey as she handed Ginny a hospital gown and some slippers. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, Miss Weasley, I have a potion for you to drink."

"Can Harry stay?"

Madame Pomfrey looked rather unhappy about the situation, but she finally nodded. "However I want Mr. Potter to step outside while you change. He can tell your friends that you are alright, and maybe send someone to gather your things since you will be here for a while."

Ginny turned to look at Harry, who for his part was just standing to leave. "You'll come back, right? You promise?"

Harry nodded and squeezed Ginny's hand one more. "I promise, Gin. I'll be back. I may even bring some visitors with me."

For the next two weeks, Ginny was confined to the hospital ward. Madame Pomfrey made sure she ate properly, and her mother came by almost once a day to bring home cooked dishes for her. Ginny loved seeing her mother so much. She really had missed her since the start of school, but she had not been very happy after her mother lectured her about her supposed diet. Everyone was confused as to where Ginny had learned of such a foolish diet, but she had yet to tell anyone about Tom. For some reason she felt almost compelled to keep that secret to herself.

Something else that concerned Ginny was the fact that since she had been admitted to the hospital ward she had been sleeping much better. At first she thought Madame Pomfrey was sneaking a sleeping draught in her food, but that theory fell through when she realized she slept soundly even when her mother cooked. Of course that could have been the reason for her sleeping so soundly, having a full meal and not throwing it up a few minutes later. Then again there was the fact that Harry seemed determined to walk her to death each day when he came by, though she did not mind the time spent with him at all. That just left one last thing for Ginny to consider.

Since she had been admitted to the hospital ward Ginny had not dared write in her diary. At first it was because she was afraid that Madame Pomfrey would catch on to the fact that Tom talked back to her. Hermione and Gwen had unknowingly delivered the diary along with the rest of Ginny's school books. Since then Ginny had hid the diary under her pillow unless she was out of bed, then she kept it in her robes. What just struck her as odd was the fact that each day she did not write in the diary she felt better. Part of that could have been all the time she spent with Harry, but Ginny was starting to wonder if it was something more. After all, Tom had been the one to tell her about the Muggle diet that had ruined her health and if nothing else, she wanted to confront him about that.

It was the Saturday of her second weekend under Madame Pomfrey's care that Ginny was given something else to think about. She and Harry had just returned from their walk around the castle grounds and he seemed to be distracted by something. Normally she would have just asked him about it, but since they had started talking again Ginny had been nervous about possibly pushing him away. The strange silence between them though was almost painful and she wanted to know what was on his mind.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

Ginny's question seemed to drag Harry's eyes to hers. "Why did you do it, Gin? Why did you make yourself sick?"

Ginny sat down on her bed, never taking her eyes from Harry's. "I can't compare to Nymphadora. I thought if I looked different, more like her, then maybe you would see me. It was stupid, I know that now, but at the time I wasn't thinking clearly."

Harry smiled and sat down next to her, pulling Ginny up on to his lap and wrapping his arms around her. "First of all, I have always seen you, Gin. You are the most wonderful person I've ever met, no matter what you look like. I don't care if you look like Tonks because to me you will always be the prettiest girl I have ever known. Secondly, Tonks only looks like that to get Remus' attention. Like you, she doesn't realize how pretty she is on the inside."

Ginny felt the tears in her eyes, but it did not seem to matter to her that she was crying in front of Harry. All her worries about how she looked seemed so foolish to her now. In trying to get Harry's attention she had ruined her health. Worse still was the fact that it had all been for nothing because he already thought she was pretty just the way she was. At that moment in time, Ginny felt happier than she had felt in months and her tears were tears of joy rather than tears of sadness.

"I missed you so much," she said, laying her head against Harry's shoulder.

"I missed you, too, Gin," Harry whispered back.

The next morning Ginny was finally released from the hospital ward. The story that everyone had passed around was that she had been suffering from a nasty bout of stomach flu, but that now she was better again. Ginny did not care if people knew what was really wrong with her. She would gladly pay the price of being thought a silly little girl so long as Harry stayed close to her. Her friends and family welcomed her back with open arms even though most of them had visited her frequently while she was under Madame Pomfrey's care. It felt good to her all the same.

Harry was the first one to bring up the matter of the letters when she returned to the common room that morning. They had talked about it a few times but for some reason Harry seemed determined to get to the bottom of the letter mystery. Ginny had to admit, she was more than a little curious how things had gotten so messed up. There was also the fact that the same day that Harry had sent a letter home with her mother there had been the strange goings on with his Uncle Sirius. They talked about it most of the day, neither of them understanding who could be behind the confusion, but both wanting to figure it out.

"_When I find out who did this," _she thought to herself as they sat with their friends that afternoon. _"Someone played with my feelings, and they hurt Harry. I will not forgive that."_

Almost as if he had been thinking the exact same thing, Harry looked at Ginny with a determined look on his face. "Someone hurt you, and maybe your family. I don't know why they did it but I'm going to find out and I'm going to make them sorry they ever did it."

Ginny could not help but feel a little warm inside at the way in which Harry spoke about it, so she smiled and nodded. "We'll do it together, Harry."

Another thing that Ginny noticed was the way in which Colin and Gwen seemed to be isolated within the group of friends and family that had gathered around herself and Harry. Several times that day Ginny tried to make them feel more comfortable, but it just seemed like they were suddenly shy. It was so strange to Ginny that her two friends, two people that always seemed so sure of themselves, were suddenly so timid and shy around her family and other friends. It was almost as if they were afraid of something.

"_Is that it?"_ Ginny thought suddenly, noticing how Colin and Gwen seemed to keep glancing at Harry. _"Are they afraid of Harry for some reason? Could it be the whole Boy-Who-lived thing?"_

All in all it was a wonderful day for Ginny. It felt so good to be with all of her friends and family again. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have Grace and Nymphadora there, though for different reasons. Ginny wanted Grace there because she just loved the centaur filly so much and Nymphadora because she wanted to be able to apologize to Harry's cousin. It was not possible at the moment, but Ginny promised herself that she would write to both of them as soon as possible.

After a long day with her family, Ginny could no longer keep her eyes open. Saying goodnight to everyone, she made her way up to her dorm room and quickly got ready for bed. It was only when she crawled under her sheets that Ginny remembered Tom's diary and the questions she had for him. Sliding back out of bed she rummaged through her robes until she found the little battered diary and a self-inking quill. Ginny jumped back in bed and pulled the hangings closed before opening the diary.

"_I really need to talk to you, Tom,"_ she hurriedly scribbled. _"I want to know why you didn't warn me about that 'diet' you told me about. I also want to know what you know about me waking up covered in paint and filth. Something is going on here and I want to know what!"_

The ink had barely vanished when one word appeared on the paper in large bold letters that simply said, _**SLEEP!**_

Ginny felt her mind go blank the moment she saw that one word and suddenly she was in a dream. In the dream there was a boy talking to her firmly. The boy was hazy and she could not make out his face no matter how much she tried. Refusing to be dominated by the boy's increasingly harsh words, Ginny screamed right back at him. She could not exactly understand the argument they two of them were having, but she could tell exactly when he won it because after that she seemed to just go along with whatever he said.

At that point the dream changed and Ginny found herself carrying the boy in her arms like she would a child. He had grown smaller, which did not seem that strange to Ginny. Together they walked to a secret place that Ginny did not recognize and could not describe afterwards. Wherever the place was, Ginny was sure that she had never seen it before.

_**You will not remember this when you wake up, Ginevra. Just remember that when I call you, you must come.**_

Those were the words that echoed through Ginny's head as she awoke the next morning. There was a strange feeling hanging over her that she was forgetting something important, but Ginny could not figure out what it was. As she prepared for classes that morning Ginny looked through her assignments, all of her books, and even the pockets in her robes and nothing seemed to be missing or out of place. Still, the feeling that something was missing nagged Ginny constantly as she headed down to the common room. It was only the large group of people waiting for her downstairs that distracted Ginny from her thoughts.

Harry stood in front of the others as she reached the bottom of the staircase. All her friends and family, including Percy, stood there waiting for Ginny to join them. It was an amazing feeling to be so loved, because that was the feeling that radiated off the people around her, especially from Harry. Ginny was loved and she knew that whatever else happened now, she had friends and family there to help her.

"Gwen was just going to check on you," Harry whispered with a smile. "To see if you were still asleep."

Ginny nodded as she walked over to stand next to Harry, taking his hand in hers and smiling up at him. "No worries, Mr. Potter. I'm feeling much better now. I just needed my friends and family around me."

"And more food," Ron said in a stage whisper.

"And you," Ginny added in a whisper that only Harry could hear.

Harry squeezed her hand gently in his and smiled down at her. "I will always be here for you, Gin. No matter what happens, I love you and I'm here for you. If you ever need me, just call and I'll be there for you. I promise."

Ginny felt a flutter of nerves as Harry spoke. His words, so close to the barely remembered dream from Halloween both filled her with joy and with dread. Still, he had said he "loved" her and maybe him loving her was good enough for now. She would rather he was "in love" with her, but that could wait. Ginny knew she had time and time with Harry was worth anything else that might happen.

"Love you, too, Harry," she whispered back to him, and together they began to move.


	10. Chapter 9: The Holiday Attack

**Harry Potter and Slytherin's Secret**

_Part Two of the_

_Time's Avenging Angel Series_

**Author's Notes:**

_Hello, Everyone!_

_Finally got the new chapter ready for you, and I really hope you like it. I know the updates are a little slower than I started out with, but I'm working on a few other projects while finishing this one. Feel free to check out Immutable Forces if you want, but only if you like Doctor Who as well as Harry Potter._

_As always, I want to thank my very talented and lovely betas, C & J. If it weren't for these two wonderful women I would probably make a fool out of myself. They are also the ones that pull me back from the edge when I go too far with my twisting of canon, so thank them if you get the chance._

_That being said, go read and please remember to review._

_Chris_

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the publishing rights to Harry Potter. This story is subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work. **

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Holiday Attack**

Harry was happier than he had been in months. Ginny was back in his life, along with the addition of her friends. Colin and Gwen seemed to fit in pretty well with the rest of his friends. Still, it was Ginny that really made his world brighten. Ginny's friends were just a small bonus to what was already a wonderful thing. With this latest event, Harry thought everything was turning out pretty well. Now if only he could get over the feeling that something was not right.

In the month and a half since he and Ginny had been talking again, Harry had started to think someone was following him. It was a strange feeling because no one ever seemed to be around other than his friends, but he just could not shake the feeling. Harry could not explain it, though he had tried several times, other than to say that he could feel someone watching everything he did. It seemed the only time he did not feel those eyes on him was when he was in class, his room, or the washroom. It had been like that since his reconciliation with Ginny and he was starting to wonder if that had something to do with it.

"_Could it be someone jealous of how close I am to Ginny?"_

Harry thought about that possibility a great deal. After all, Ginny was great and Harry could not imagine that other guys had failed to notice her. Now that she was eating regularly again, Harry thought she was prettier than ever before. It was not like he had not seen guys turning to look when they walked down the hallways together. Just the other day he had even seen one third year student run into a wall as they passed him. Harry had even laughed when Ginny seemed unaware of the reaction guys had to her.

Of course he also felt a little jealous when he saw this happening. Harry hated to feel like that. Not that he really knew why he felt so conflicted about other boys paying attention to Ginny, but he did. It was truly confusing to Harry and he had promised himself that he would talk to Sirius or Remus about it as soon as he could. Until then, Harry would just have to try and ignore his jealousy.

"_Why do I feel so possessive?"_ Harry often thought to himself. _"She's my best friend."_

Harry felt someone sit down next to him on the couch he was occupying and smiled when he saw it was Ginny. She scooted over closer to him, turning slightly so she could lean back against his side. That had become Ginny's favorite way to sit when they were on the couch together. Harry liked it, and after a little shock on Ron's part, everyone had become used to the sight. The only person that seemed to have a problem with it was Gwen.

"_Speaking of,"_ thought Harry, looking around.

Sure enough, Gwen was sitting at a nearby table. The dark haired girl always seemed to be nearby whenever Ginny was near Harry. Harry wondered if maybe she was the presence he felt watching him recently. It was obvious that as time passed Gwen was not happy about his relationship with Ginny. Many times over the last few weeks, Harry had seen her staring at him and Ginny with a look that seemed to fluctuate between longing and hate. When Harry mentioned this to Ginny, she assured him that Gwen was just lonely and wanted to spend more time with Ginny. Harry was by no means an expert when it came to girls, but his instincts told him that it was not Ginny that Gwen wanted to spend time with.

"She's doing it again," Harry said in a barely audible whisper to Ginny.

Ginny sighed, turning a page of her Transfiguration book. "What do you want me to do about it, Harry? You want me to start a row with her because she's sitting too close?"

"Of course not."

"Well then deal with it," Ginny whispered back. "I think she's lonely, but I can't spend all my time with her."

"I know that," sighed Harry. "I just think there is more to it than her being lonely."

"Fine," Ginny hissed, turning to face him. "I'll talk to her about it tonight. Will that make you happy?"

"I just think there's more to it, Gin," Harry began, but was silenced when Ginny laid a finger on his lips.

"I know, Harry," she almost crooned to him. "The famous Potter instinct senses something wrong and you want to know what it is?"

Harry nodded, not wanting to speak for fear Ginny would move her finger. He loved the feeling of her skin, even just her finger, on his lips. For the thousandth time since he and Ginny had started talking again, Harry wondered what it would feel like to kiss her. Even more of those confusing feelings seemed to flood his mind at the thought of kissing Ginny. They were all half formed and gone too quickly for Harry to understand any of them. They just left him with a vague desire to kiss her, and not the quick friendly pecks on the cheek, but a real kiss on the lips.

"_No,"_ Harry thought, mentally pulling away from the images in his mind. _"We're too young for that."_

Ginny seemed to be thinking something similar because she blushed prettily and moved her finger from Harry's lips. They sat silently for a time, staring in to each other's eyes. Harry noticed how close their faces were to each other. Only a few inches separated them now. He once again thought about kissing Ginny and had almost convinced himself to do it when a voice interrupted them. Looking up, he noticed Hermione was standing over them, evidently trying to get Harry's attention.

"Are you listening to me?" she asked, her hands on her hips and a look of disapproval on her face. "I said I just saw Mr. Knight down by the lake."

"Right then," Harry said, pulling away reluctantly from Ginny. "I should go see what he wants. Sorry, Gin."

Ginny sighed and smiled at him. "It's alright, Harry. Do what you need to. I'll be here when you get back."

Harry smiled at her, and then nodded to Hermione before running up to his room to retrieve the Invisibility Cloak. Though it was still early, Harry did not want to chance on being caught out after curfew if his conversation with Mr. Knight took too long. Putting on his warmest cloak, Harry pulled on the Invisibility Cloak before tossing the hood up to cover his head.

As he dashed from the common room, Harry saw Ginny sitting with Gwen. He could not hear their whispered conversation, but from their expressions he thought they were arguing about something. He hoped he was not responsible for them arguing, but he did not have time to wonder at the cause. He ducked out the portrait hole and made his way silently down to the entrance hall.

Harry was halfway to the lake before he saw the figure of Mr. Knight standing by the frozen water. What surprised him was that a second figure was standing next to Mr. Knight and the two seemed to be having an argument. Harry crept forward and slid behind a large tree. He was close enough to hear them speak but hopefully not close enough to be noticed.

"I realize that," Mr. Knight was saying angrily. "Their bond is stronger than I realized. That's a good thing though and I'm not going to apologize for it!"

The other man, wearing an oddly old-looking hooded cloak, sighed and then spoke softly. "I'm not asking you to, Arthur. I'm merely telling you what our concerns are. When we agreed to this plan of yours, you told us that we needn't worry about things going wrong. The problem is things ARE going wrong!"

"Calm down, Alexander," replied Mr. Knight. "This was not unexpected. In fact I was rather counting on it. Harry can handle the situation and the timeline will actually work out better this way."

"I'm sure the boy can handle it," said the man Mr. Knight had called Alexander. "In fact I have looked at the possible outcomes and can see that he has a better than fifty percent chance of succeeding. It's that other forty-eight percent we're worried about. Should he fail, then there will be no recovering from it. The Worthies will not allow a third attempt to correct the situation. Do you understand me, Arthur?"

Mr. Knight nodded. "I understand, Alexander."

"Good," said the stranger with a smile. "Now the old fool is coming and you need to warn him from his path."

Turning towards where Harry was hiding, the man waved and winked. "Stay hidden for now, Harry. Listen closely to the conversation that is about to take place. Good luck to you, and to Ginevra."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Harry nodded and mumbled, "Thank you, sir."

Walking away, the strange man called over his shoulder to Mr. Knight. "He's a good kid, Arthur. Take care of him or you'll answer to me and Hephaestion."

Mr. Knight chuckled before answering. "I will, Alexander. Give my best to your husband."

Harry watched the strange man nod and wave once more before he vanished into thin air. Mr. Knight sighed once and looked over at Harry. With a wave of his hand, Mr. Knight summoned a drift of snow to form around Harry. It was not cold but Harry realized he was completely hidden from normal sight.

"Stay quiet, Harry," whispered Mr. Knight, jerking his head slightly towards where Harry could see another figure approaching.

Less than a minute later, Harry recognized the figure as Albus Dumbledore. The Headmaster strode confidently across the snow-covered grounds until he reached Mr. Knight's side. Taking a final step, Dumbledore stopped next to the former king and looked out over the lake. The two men stood silently gazing out over the frozen water for a time before Dumbledore finally spoke.

"What have you released in my school?" demanded Dumbledore.

Mr. Knight chuckled softly, then looked at Dumbledore. "I didn't release anything, Albus. You already know that, so your question is meaningless. What you should really be asking is will it harm anyone?"

"Will it?" asked Dumbledore.

"No," answered Mr. Knight firmly. "I am forbidden from intervening this time, but Harry will be more than capable of dealing with it when the time comes."

"Harry?" asked a stunned looking Dumbledore. "You expect a twelve year old boy to be able to handle this? Are you mad?"

"Maybe," replied Mr. Knight. "Then again, I'm not the one trying to play savior from behind the scenes. You pull the strings, like some grand puppet master, with no thought to the damage you may do to the people you manipulate. I will not allow that to continue. I will arm Harry with everything he needs to win."

Dumbledore looked terrified as he spoke, his voice a little higher than before. "You armed him? How so? Do you mean to tell me you have told him the prophecy?"

Dumbledore looked absolutely enraged when Mr. Knight nodded. "Of course I told him, Albus. Did you think I would allow him to walk blindly into Tom's hands? Now he knows what he is fighting for and will appreciate what he has even more. Love is his sword and his shield, Albus. Please remember, Albus, just because Tom doesn't know what love is does not mean that Harry should be denied it as well."

Harry watched as Dumbledore pulled a crystal from his pocket and fingered it like a worry stone. For some reason Harry felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of the crystal. Not wanting to think about it, Harry began twisting his ring around his finger as he continued to listen. The sensation of the ring on his finger seemed to calm him, though he still found himself glancing at the strange crystal from time to time.

"You really shouldn't take that lightly, Albus," Mr. Knight said with a gesture towards the crystal.

"I can handle this," objected Dumbledore, holding the crystal up and looking at it.

"I warned you," said Mr. Knight with a sigh. "Remember that when the time comes."

Dumbledore looked shaken for an instant, and then nodded saying softly, "I will."

Without looking back, Dumbledore walked slowly away, pausing only long enough to whisper something that sounded like, "Please, keep them safe."

Mr. Knight nodded, his face looking sad. "I will, my friend. Please, try to do the same for yourself."

After a few moments of silence, Mr. Knight waved his hand at the snow that had been hiding Harry. The snow swirled around Harry like a living thing for a few seconds, then settled to the ground. Harry marveled at the ease with which his friend performed such complex magic. As he considered that, Mr. Knight motioned for him to join him.

"You heard that?"

Harry nodded, glancing down at the ring he wore. "Dumbledore doesn't want me to know what's coming. Does he?"

"No, he doesn't," agreed Mr. Knight. "Albus, for all his faults, wants to protect you. No matter what you might think, Albus wants you to have a normal childhood."

"But he would be happier if I remained clueless?"

Mr. Knight chuckled softly and patted Harry's shoulder. "Albus is in a bad spot right now. On the one hand, he wants to protect you and allow you to be normal for as long as possible."

"And on the other hand?"

"Yes, on the other hand, he feels driven to keep you clueless," Mr. Knight admitted. "Albus is fighting a battle of his own that will eventually either set him free, or make him a slave to his darker impulses."

"What the heck does that mean?" asked Harry, looking up at his friend again.

"I can't really explain any more than that, Harry," said Mr. Knight with a strangely playful grin. "But I suggest you keep your eyes open and trust your gut."

Harry thought about that for a moment before speaking. "Does this have something to do with that crystal he was holding? I noticed when you mentioned it to him that he was rather defensive about it and it gave me the chills to boot."

"Good eye, Harry," Mr. Knight said with a wide grin. "It does have something to do with all of this, but that is also something I'm not allowed to tell you about. You see my… partners… think you should learn some things on your own. They don't think you'll appreciate the answers nearly as much if I just hand them to you without you having to work for them."

Harry debated on whether or not to argue about that until he remembered the first man Mr. Knight had spoken to. "Was that man, Alexander you called him, one of your partners?"

Mr. Knight grinned even wider at Harry. "Yes he is. Alexander and I are members of a type of advisory board of sorts. Each of us has our own little pet projects. When we are actively working on something, we try to keep each other appraised of our progress. We each have to agree that what we are doing is for the greater good and if it isn't…"

"They can stop you," Harry finished for him. "They're the ones that told you what you could and couldn't tell me?"

"Exactly," confirmed the older man. "Alexander is sort of my silent partner in this venture, so he's responsible for reviewing my progress. He feels that you deserve all the help you can get, but not at the cost of destroying what we have worked so hard to achieve."

Nodding, Harry thought about all that he had just heard. It made sense if these other people were tweaking things the same way that Mr. Knight was. There almost had to be someone watching over what was happening in that type of situation. In a way it made Harry feel better about many things. If there were other people watching out for him, then that meant fewer things could go wrong.

"How badly could things go wrong?" Harry asked, feeling his throat tighten as he said it.

Mr. Knight looked down at Harry for a moment and sighed. "Very badly, Harry. If that were to happen, then my friends would take over. They would take whatever steps were required to fix the situation. It happened once before."

"When?"

"Before I joined them," replied Mr. Knight. "Someone meddled with my life and they were forced to salvage the situation. The results as you know them are what they agreed upon in order to salvage what they could of the situation."

Harry wanted to know what had happened, but he stopped himself from asking when he looked up at his friend. Mr. Knight's face was a mask of sorrow and pain. It was a pain that seemed to resonate within Harry so that he knew it was not his place to ask.

Pulling the hood of the Invisibility Cloak from his head, Harry grinned up at Mr. Knight. "It's your story, and I don't need to know. Maybe someday when this is all over with, we'll trade stories, but I can wait until then."

"Thank you, Harry," was all Mr. Knight said for several minutes as they aimlessly walked the grounds of Hogwarts.

"It's time for one of my warnings, Harry," he finally said. "Keep your eyes open and your wand ready from now on. Things are going to be… interesting… from this point on."

Harry wondered what that meant, but he followed the advice over the next few days. With only three days left before the end of term, Harry was starting to feel nervous. He had just left History of Magic one afternoon when he finally understood. Hermione, Ron, and Neville had run ahead to the common room while Harry headed over to Ginny's classroom to wait for her.

Halfway between the two classrooms, Harry found himself in a strangely dark passage. The candles and torches that normally lit the hallway had all gone out. That was not too unusual given that Peeves often blew out the candles and torches to annoy Filch. Harry barely even thought about it as he continued to walk along the passageway. It was as he reached the halfway point that he realized something was wrong.

"_This isn't right_," he thought, reaching for his wand and looking around.

The passageway seemed to be empty, but his instincts told him someone was nearby. The shadows suddenly seemed too dark. Harry felt the ring on his finger growing warm and he began turning it around on his finger with his thumb. Each step he took made the feeling stronger and Harry was fighting the desire to run to the lights he could just see at the end of the hallway.

"_Stupefy_!"

The voice sounded high and cold but was strangely muffled as Harry dove forward and rolled out of the way of the spell. He barely managed to move out of the way of a second spell that hit the ground where his head had been just a second before. Scrambling behind a suit of armor, Harry got back to his feet and pressed his back against the cold metal, trying to figure out where the attacks were coming from. Three more spells impacted the suit of armor and Harry could hear the metal shriek as it was hit. A sharp pain in Harry's back nearly drove him to his knees, but he managed to keep standing.

"Who are you?" bellowed Harry, wanting his attacker to speak so he could find them.

The voice that replied seemed to come from every direction. "I am your death, Harry Potter!"

Just then Harry heard the sound of many feet running towards him and the voice of his attacker cursing about the impending rescue. Harry never could remember what happened next, except that suddenly he was flying through the air and then there was a bright flash of light. Everything went black and Harry could only remember a sensation of floating in pitch black surroundings. Occasionally he almost thought someone was near him, or that a voice was calling his name, but then it would fade and he would be alone again. Time held no meaning in that place and he gave up trying to understand what was happening to him.

After what seemed like an eternity floating in the black void, Harry finally opened his eyes. The first thing Harry realized was that he was looking up at the ceiling of his bedroom back at the Den. He could not remember how he had gotten there, nor when. Sitting up slightly in bed and resting on his elbow, Harry glanced out his window and saw fluffy white snowflakes falling past it against a pitch black night. A single white candle burned on his nightstand, wax streaming down it and onto the wooden table. Other than himself, the room was empty, though a comfortable armchair had been placed next to his bed. He reached over to touch the seat of the chair and felt the warmth of it, proving that someone had been sitting there very recently.

Sitting up fully, Harry stretched and wondered why his muscles felt so stiff. He stepped out of bed slowly, noticing he only had on a loose fitting pair of boxer shorts. That seemed odd since he normally wore pajamas to bed, but then waking up at home when he had just been at school was odder still. He thought about that as he walked towards his door trying to remember what had happened, but his last memory was the flash of white light.

"_Must have hit my head,"_ he thought as he stepped out into the hallway and made his way to the bathroom. _"Not sure why I'm here though. You would think Madame Pomfrey would want me in the hospital wing."_

Glancing around, Harry noticed that Sirius had redecorated the house, again. Everything seemed darker and there was barely any light to be seen, except for a candle at the head of the stairs. It was really depressing in Harry's opinion and he instantly wondered if Sirius had broken up with yet another in a long line of girlfriends. Harry pushed that aside as he dealt with his pressing need at the moment. After a quick wash up, Harry made his way back to his room and changed into a regular pair of pajamas and his slippers. It felt good to be clean and dressed, almost as if it had been too long since the last time he had done it. Stepping back out into the hallway, Harry began his search for his uncles, hoping they would have the answers he needed. Harry checked both their bedrooms, but found them empty and looking as if they had not been cleaned in ages. The clock next to Sirius' bed showed that it was nearly midnight and Harry wondered if his uncles were down in the kitchen or possibly in Sirius' study having a drink. Quietly he made his way down the stairs until he was nearly at the bottom. Voices were coming from the family room and he stopped as he listened to what they were saying.

"He's stronger than you think," he heard Sirius saying.

"I know that," replied Tonks in a watery sounding voice. "But it's been over a week now and he's still asleep."

"It's my fault," Ron's voice said suddenly. "I should have been there."

"We all should have been there," added Neville's voice.

Harry was surprised when Professor McGonagall spoke next. "You had no way of knowing what was going to happen, Mr. Longbottom. Harry has always been able to look out for himself before this happened. How could any of us be expected to know something like this was going to happen? It still shocks me that someone would try to kill him while at Hogwarts."

"It was always a possibility, Minerva," said a man's voice that Harry did not recognize. "Since the very day he was born, Harry has been a target for the darker aspects of our society."

"Which is exactly why we should have been more alert, Nicolas," objected the voice of Harry's potions teacher. "We always knew V-V-Voldemort wanted Harry dead. We should have taken better precautions to make sure that no one else did as well."

"I disagree, Perenelle" Grace said as Harry moved further down the stairs. "Not even the stars warned of this. It should not have happened."

"But it did!" Ginny suddenly cried and Harry could hear the pain in her voice. "He nearly died! Now he won't wake up! What good are your stars if Harry spends the rest of his life in a coma?"

That was all it took for Harry to decide the time for listening was done. Moving faster than should have been possible, even for him, Harry was down the stairs and in the family room in the blink of an eye. He took in the sight around him in a moment and was surprised by the number of people in the room. His uncles and Tonks were sitting on a long couch. Tonks was curled up next to Remus with his arm around her as she cried. Almost all the Weasleys were there as well, spread out around the room, either sitting on the floor or sitting on assorted chairs. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flamel were sitting on a long couch opposite Harry's uncles along with a man that must have been Professor Flamel's husband. Hermione sat with Ron and Neville in front of the fireplace with Grace in her human form, lying with her head in Hermione's lap. The brown haired witch was gently stroking Grace's snow white hair. They both had tears in their red puffy eyes.

All that touched Harry deeply, but it was the sight of Ginny's tear streaked face that pulled at his very heart and soul. The weeping girl sat in her father's lap, her head buried in his chest, his arms around her tightly as she cried. Harry had never seen such a look of determination on the elder Weasley's face, but it was obvious the man would do anything in his power to protect his one and only daughter. Weaving his way through the tangle of bodies and chairs faster than they could see, Harry was suddenly kneeling in front of Arthur Weasley and his daughter. There was a collective gasp from the room as Harry seemed to suddenly appear out of thin air in front of the two Weasleys. Many voices called out his name, but Harry was speaking before anyone could so much as move an inch towards him.

"I'm not dead, Ginny. I'm here now," Harry told her as he reached out and took her hand in his. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"Harry? Is that really you?" Ginny asked in shock before flinging herself into his arms. "Don't you ever leave me again! You hear me?"

"Never, Gin" answered Harry as he hugged her tightly.

Maybe the room had been struck silent by his sudden arrival or by the reunion of Harry and Ginny. Harry and Ginny stayed like that, lost in their own moment in time for several minutes. For Harry, it was as if the world had stopped around him and Ginny. It was a perfect moment as far as he was concerned, made even better by the fact that they were surrounded by Harry's friends and family. It just made everything feel so much better, as if they could handle anything. Ginny had her head buried in Harry's chest and he could hear that she was softly crying, but even that was something they could handle together. When Ginny finally pulled away, cheeks flaming and eyes half hidden by her lashes, Harry felt as if his heart would burst from sheer joy.

"_I could get used to this,"_ he thought to himself, as the sound of laughter and celebration suddenly filled the room.

As it turned out, Harry had been attacked three days before the winter holiday and been unconscious since then. It was now New Year's Eve and everyone had gathered at the Den in hopes of supporting each other through the dark times. Sirius had brought Harry home at the end of term to protect him, though Dumbledore had objected. His friends and family had stayed with him since then in hopes that their presence would help in his recovery.

"You really had us worried, Harry," Sirius told him a little later. "You had a lot of metal shards in your back from one of the suits of armor exploding. One of the larger shards actually tore up your left kidney. Then you hit your head against the wall. It was really bad. You were just lucky that Madame Pomfrey and Professor Flamel were able to fix you up as well as they did."

Harry tried to remember being hit by metal shards and just had a vague memory of a sharp pain in his back. "I remember pain and someone telling me they were there to kill me. Then there was a bright white light and then I was here."

Sirius chuckled softly. "That white light was probably you cracking your head open on the wall. You were a mess, kid. Madame Pomfrey wanted to send you to St. Mungo's, but Dumbledore stopped her saying you were safer at Hogwarts. I didn't agree as you can tell. While Poppy and Perenelle were putting you back together, I pulled a few strings at the Ministry to make sure Dumbledore couldn't stop me from coming to get you. The moment I had the approval, Arthur, Remus, and I Apparated to Hogwarts and we pulled you out of there before Dumbledore even knew we were there."

"Bet he wasn't happy about that," Harry said with a chuckle.

"Nope," agreed Sirius. "When he found out, he popped over here to 'talk' me into returning you. Funny thing was, he couldn't seem to cross the property line. When he realized that he wasn't going to get his way, I honestly thought he was going to draw his wand on me. It was only when Minerva and Perenelle showed up that he seemed to calm down. I swear Perenelle scolded him like he was five years old. After that, we tried to make you as comfortable as possible while we waited to see if you would recover. Within about an hour of getting home, everyone just sort of showed up."

"Everyone?"

"Well, Hermione went home for Christmas, but then came back as soon as she could," replied Sirius. "The Weasleys have been here the entire time. You just missed their oldest boys, Charlie and Bill."

Harry was touched by the dedication and love everyone had shown him. He was even more surprised when he walked back in the previously dark room and found it lit up with Christmas decorations and smiling faces. There was a Christmas tree in the corner with two piles of presents piled neatly under it.

"Happy Christmas, Harry!" chorused the room as he looked around.

"We kept your presents for you, Harry," Fred said pointing at one of the piles of presents.

"Of course Ginny refused to open hers until you woke up," added George.

"Absolutely barmy if you ask me," groused Ron, but Harry could tell it was all for show.

Harry smiled at Ginny as she blushed furiously and played with the hem of her jumper. "Thanks, Gin."

Professor McGonagall stood up, looking as if she was preparing to leave. "I should return to Hogwarts and tell Poppy that you have woken up, Harry. I'm sure you would rather spend time with your friends and family without me here."

"You're right," agreed Harry with a wide smile. Walking over to the stern woman, Harry took her hand in his and smiled up at the surprised expression on her face. "That's why I want you to stay, because you are part of my family now."

Harry suddenly hugged his very surprised head of house. Professor McGonagall looked down at Harry with tears obvious in her eyes. Then Minerva McGonagall did something she had never done before, she hugged a student. Wrapping her arms tightly around Harry's shoulders, Minerva squeezed him tightly and was hugged again in return.

"Thank you, Harry," she whispered.

Harry looked up at her and whispered back. "You're welcome, ma'am."

Harry turned to look at the room full of people and smiled around at them. Noticing the slightly out of place appearance of Professor Flamel and her husband, Harry decided it was time to meet the man whose stone had been at the center of the previous year's chaos. Walking over to where the two ancient newcomers were sitting, Harry held out his hands to them both. He could not help but feel that they were already a part of his family.

"I'm glad you're here," he said to Perenelle, and then turned to her husband. "And I'm glad to finally meet you, sir. Welcome to the family."

"Thank you, Harry," the Flamels said together, their faces shining with pleasure at the greeting.

"In fact I'm glad you're all here," continued Harry, looking around the room again. "Now, I have all my family here."

One by one Harry pointed at the people in the room as he spoke. "I have my brothers and sisters, including my lovely sister Tonks. I also have my aunts and uncles. And I have Ginny back again, just to top it all off."

Everyone beamed at Harry as he spoke, especially the youngest Weasley. Ginny quickly made her way over to Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. Harry laughed as he watched Grace trying to hide her blushing face as she asked Tonks if she was considered an aunt or a sister. Tonks wiped her own tears away and explained that the centaur filly was definitely a sister, to which Harry nodded in agreement.

"Harry?" asked Nicolas Flamel. "I wanted to thank you for saving my stone last year. You didn't have to, but you did anyway."

"You're welcome, sir," said Harry. "However… well… I thought when it was gone that…well… I thought you would…"

"Die?" asked Nicolas with a grin. "Yes that would have been the outcome if not for the kind offer of sanctuary we received from your Mr. Knight. Thanks to him, my wife and I are free from our need to continually drink the Elixir of Life, though we have not revealed that secret as of yet."

"Is that why Professor Flamel told us in class that you still needed it?" asked Ginny. "To keep your secret?"

"Yes, Ginny," confirmed Perenelle as she joined her husband. "Better that people think we still require the Elixir than have them trying to figure out we no longer need it. This way they wonder if we destroyed the stone and have the Elixir stored away somewhere safe, or they think we are slowly dying without it. Better they never know that we no longer require it and that there is another alternative to taking the Elixir."

"Makes sense," agreed Harry. "This way no one bothers Mr. Knight, and no one tries to bother you either."

Their conversation was cut short by Molly announcing it was time to open their presents. All said, Harry thought it was a wonderful time spent with his friends and family. He received another hand knitted jumper from Mrs. Weasley and a book about airplanes from her husband. Then there were several more books from Remus, Hermione, and Neville. The twins surprised Harry with a book as well, only theirs was on how to prank people and not get caught. Ron, of course, gave Harry a box of chocolate frogs, which Harry shared with everyone.

Tonks' gift was probably the most embarrassing thing Harry had ever seen, though it did make Ginny's day. When he opened the unassuming box, he saw a plain black t-shirt with no markings on it at all. At his cousin's insistence, Harry tried it on and immediately knew something was up. It was only when Sirius whispered to him what the back said that Harry felt like crawling under the couch. Much to his embarrassment, clearly written across his back in large red letters that matched Ginny's hair color was the message, "Property of Ginny Weasley!" As soon as Ginny saw that, she blushed so furiously that it was hard to tell where her hair stopped and her face began. The only perk was that for the rest of the night Ginny sat even closer to him as if daring anyone to disagree with the shirt's message.

Ginny's present was not as large as the others, but Harry liked it better than all the rest. In a simple silver frame was a picture from the previous summer. The picture showed Harry and Ginny sitting together outside of the Den. Harry remembered when the picture had been taken by Remus. Ginny's head rested on Harry's shoulder and both of them waved happily for the camera. It was an image that filled Harry with joy. Harry loved it and leaned over to kiss Ginny on the cheek to show his appreciation. Ginny must have been preparing to say something to him as she chose that exact moment to turn towards him. Before Harry knew what was happening, he found himself kissing Ginny's lips, and not her cheek. They both quickly pulled away, Harry falling off the couch they were sitting on, while Ginny did her best to sink into the cushions. No one else seemed to have noticed the kiss, though Sirius and Remus seemed to find Harry falling off the couch to be highly entertaining.

After a few awkward moments spent regaining their composure, and in Harry's case his seat, they resumed opening presents. Sirius and Grace combined their presents. At first Harry was rather confused by the large box, especially when he realized there was a smaller box inside that one. Opening that box Harry found a leather satchel like the one that Sirius carried for his work. He was even more surprised that it contained the same type of materials and equipment as Sirius'. When he looked at Sirius and Grace, they both smiled and Sirius held his finger to his lips. Looking down once again, Harry noticed a note attached to the satchel.

_**Harry,**_

_**Grace and I decided that with all the things going on around you this year that maybe it was for the best if you had a means of helping yourself when we aren't available. To aid in that I am giving you a kit just like mine. I can't really speak about what I do, but I'm sure you already know more than you let on. Let's just say that with the equipment and books you'll find in this satchel, you'll be well on your way to following in my footsteps someday.**_

_**Happy Christmas,**_

_**Sirius & Grace**_

_**PS. The satchel can only be opened by you. The same goes for the books inside. Sirius.**_

Glancing up at his uncle and the centaur filly, Harry smiled at them both. Yes, this was a gift that would help him out greatly as time went by. They all three seemed to share a secret little joke amongst themselves before Harry closed the lid of the box and returned his attention to the people around him. This Christmas had ended much better than it had started, at least in Harry's opinion.


	11. Chapter 10: The Unwanted Helper

**Harry Potter and Slytherin's Secret**

_Part Two of the Time's Avenging Angel Series_

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Unwanted Helper**

Ginny tossed and turned in her sleep. Her dreams, nightmares really, were filled with strange feelings of love and hate. She fought to make sense of it, but her struggle to understand what she was experiencing only seemed to make it worse. Through all of it, she strained to hear a voice that seemed to call her from far away. When she finally heard it clearly, the message made no sense.

"_I walk the lonely path…_

_One made seven and all less than the last._

_Terror and fear made me…_

_Love can heal me…_

_Love can protect from me…_

_And love can kill me._

_I walk the lonely path._

_I was…_

_I am…_

_I will be again!"_

Snapping awake as if someone had just hit her with a powerful stinging hex, Ginny looked around the room. At first she could not remember where she was; but as she calmed down, she recognized the room as being at the Den and everything slowly came back to her. She remembered Harry being attacked and injured, then her family coming to stay with Harry's uncles as they waited for him to wake up. It was a shock, though a very good one, when Harry suddenly did just that the night before.

"_Thank God he's alright,"_ she thought to herself.

Ginny was so happy now that Harry was awake. As the dream slowly faded from her memory, another one took its place. It was a dream she had often had before her fall out with Harry the previous summer and one that always filled her with hope for the future. In that dream she was several years older and Harry had just proposed to her. Later, they would get married and finally have children. Ginny loved that dream.

Looking out the window next to her bed, Ginny saw that it was bright and sunny outside, the sunlight sparkling off a newly fallen layer of pure white snow. She climbed out of bed, slipping on her slippers and robe before making her way downstairs for breakfast. At the sight of the hallway she giggled, as it was obvious that Sirius had redecorated again. Instead of the cold dark hallway, she saw a bright and cheerful space filled with light and warmth. She thought the pictures of happy dancing house-elves was a bit over the top, but then it was Sirius' house and he was free to decorate it any way he saw fit.

As she entered the kitchen, Ginny saw her mother busy making breakfast and Madame Pomfrey sipping a cup of tea. Since her visit to the hospital ward, Ginny had been talking with the matron several times a week about her eating problems. Ginny had thought it would be easy to go back to the way things had been, but time had proven her wrong. It was hard to make herself eat and the image of herself in the mirror just did not look right to her, always seeming just a little too chubby to please her. Only Harry was able to really make her feel good about herself, but there were just some things that Ginny could not bring herself to talk with him about.

"Good morning, Ginny," said her mother with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Miss Weasley," Madame Pomfrey added. "How are you feeling today?"

"Morning, Mum. Morning, Madame Pomfrey," Ginny said as she sat down at the table. "I'm feeling much better now that Harry is awake."

Madame Pomfrey chuckled softly at that and smiled at Ginny. "Yes, that boy surprises me constantly. I examined him earlier and he seems to be in absolutely perfect health now. I was worried when he was attacked, and worried every moment he was unconscious, but once again he has proven me wrong and shown just how special he truly is."

"Harry really is a remarkable boy," agreed Mrs. Weasley as she started frying bacon. "We were all so worried about him. I'm so glad he's finally awake."

Madame Pomfrey nodded and took another sip of her tea before looking back at Ginny. "How about other than Harry waking up, Ginny? Are you doing better with your other problem?"

Ginny looked up at her mother, feeling a bit nervous about discussing her eating problems in front of her. Madame Pomfrey glanced over at Mrs. Weasley, understanding how it might be difficult for Ginny to talk around her mother. The school matron was just about to make the suggestion that they take a walk when, much to their surprise, Molly pulled her wand and cast a silencing charm on the doors, followed by a mild aversion charm. Another wave of her wand over the stove stopped the food from cooking.

"Ginny," Molly said as she poured herself a cup of tea. "Did I ever tell you about my last year at Hogwarts?"

Ginny shook her head and watched her mother sit down at the table. "In many ways, it was the best and worst year of my life. Your father and I had been seeing each other for quite some time at that point. I had always known that Arthur was the one for me, but I was afraid of losing him. You see I had always been, I believe the term now is "voluptuous", as I grew up and it had not changed while I was in school."

Molly took another sip of her tea before continuing. "I was very self conscious about the way I looked and I was afraid your father might find someone thinner and prettier than me. In fact, there was one girl in my class that seemed determined to get her hands on your father. The sneaky little wench."

"Really?" asked Ginny. "What did you do?"

Molly sighed and looked out the window over the sink with a faraway look in her eyes. "I did the most foolish thing possible. Thinking that I had to lose weight quickly, I quit eating and started taking weight loss potions. Now this was back before they monitored those potions like they do now. You could order them through owl-post as easily as ordering candy and I ordered them by the dozens."

"Oh, Molly," gasped Madame Pomfrey. "Those potions were horrible back then. No one monitored their quality. Half the time you were just getting vials of colored swill, which would make you horribly ill."

"I know that now," agreed Molly. "However back then, I didn't care. Within days I had dropped all the weight and loved how I looked. I suddenly had this tiny little waist and kept all the rest of my curves. I was in absolute heaven. Arthur was concerned, but he accepted that I was in control of the situation."

Molly took another sip of her tea and laughed softly, a slight flush covering her cheeks now. "I loved all the attention I was suddenly getting, and Arthur seemed very appreciative as well. Soon I was strutting around the school as if I was God's gift to the world. At least I was at first."

"What happened?" asked Ginny, leaning forward and worried now.

"I kept taking the potions and soon my figure vanished," sighed Molly. "I was nothing but skin and bones, almost literally. I started fainting whenever I exerted myself. Arthur was horrified and I nearly lost him because of it. He demanded that I stop taking the potions, but I just couldn't do it. I was afraid I would gain all that weight back and he would never be able to love me."

Ginny listened to what her mother was saying. It was strange to think that her mother might actually know exactly what Ginny was going through. Stranger still was the thought that she had almost lost everything because of a desire to be something she thought Harry wanted.

"I was finally rushed to the infirmary after fainting in Potions class," Molly continued. "I hadn't eaten more than a few bites in weeks. The potions had made me feel full, but had not provided me with any protein or vitamins. I was so sick and got even sicker when they made me stop taking the potions. It took a month of bed rest and constant care to repair the damage I had done to myself."

Madame Pomfrey nodded and glanced over at Ginny. "Those potions, the ones that worked at all, were horribly addictive and would eventually start eating away at organs, bones and muscles. People died of starvation on them and many times no one even knew the victim had been taking them until it was far too late."

"Arthur came to see me one night after I had been in the hospital wing for two weeks," Molly said softly. "He told me he loved me just the way I was, extra weight and all. I felt so foolish and I promised him I would never do anything like that again. When I finally got out of the hospital wing I was still very weak, but Arthur stayed by my side through it all. One of the first things he did when he got his job at the Ministry was to draft the law that required the weight loss potions to be approved for quality and stopped them from being sold to underage witches. Truth be told, I think writing that law and getting it passed by the Wizengamot was the only reason Arthur even went to work for the Ministry. He never did seem all that eager to be there after that."

"I remember that," said Madame Pomfrey with a smile. "The Purebloods fought that law tooth and nail all the way. It turned out the companies that made those potions were all owned by very old Pureblood families. The law only passed when one of the families changed their minds and backed it."

"One of the only times I ever thanked a Malfoy," chuckled Molly.

"Malfoy?" asked Ginny. "You mean Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father?"

"Actually no," said Molly ruefully. "It was Lucius' father, Octavius. His company was one of the few that met the quality standards of the new law. He knew he would make millions of Galleons if he was one of the only suppliers of weight loss potions."

"I remember the interview he gave the Daily Prophet," added Madame Pomfrey. "It was right before his death and he was so cocky and arrogant. When they asked him why he did it, he said, 'There will always be witches vain enough to buy my potions. I'm just making sure they get what they pay so much for.'"

"He died shortly after that," continued Molly. "His wife killed him only a few days after the law's final approval by the Minister. As it turned out, for years he had been forcing the poor woman to take some rather dangerous potions to keep her looking young. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement officially called it a bad potion interaction leading to a psychotic episode on her part, but everyone knew what really happened. She came home one night and found him shagging his eighteen year old office assistant. I guess that was the final straw for the poor woman. She turned her husband into a plate of bacon and then forced the poor girl to eat it. Rather ironic really, but the poor girl spent months in Saint Mungo's before they finally just had to modify her memory of the event and move her out of the country."

Madame Pomfrey shook her head and mumbled what sounded like, "Better than she deserved. Home wrecking harlot."

"Maybe she was, Poppy, but she didn't deserve to be made into a murder weapon," Molly said quietly as she sipped the last of her tea before standing up. "That is beside the point. Ginny, dear, don't ever think I can't understand what you are feeling. I know exactly how it feels to think you aren't what people think you should be. Just remember that if people really care about you, then it doesn't matter what you look like because they will love you no matter what."

"She's right, you know," said a woman's voice from behind them.

Ginny turned and saw Tonks standing in the doorway with her wand in hand and a bashful grin on her face. The young woman still looked like a fashion model, which caused a pang of jealousy in Ginny. What was unusual was the sad look in her eyes, despite the grin on her face. Ginny had seen that same look in her own reflection often enough to know the pain that went with it. If they could both feel that type of pain, Ginny had to wonder if there was more in common between them than she had originally thought.

"Didn't mean to snoop," said Tonks, hanging her head and shuffling her feet. "Just when I noticed the aversion charm, my training got the better of me."

"It's alright, dear," Molly said with a smile. "We were just having a bit of girl time before the boys wandered downstairs for breakfast. Sit down and have a cuppa with us, won't you?"

"I'd really like that, Mrs. Weasley," Tonks said looking up with a genuine smile, but still that look of sadness in her eyes. "Before I do though, I need to show you something."

Ginny looked at Tonks, trying to figure out what the older girl wanted to show them. At first, she thought it was a trick of the light as Tonks seemed to shrink in on herself. Tonks' body slowly shrunk down to not much taller than Ginny's, though it kept most of the same proportions. Then Tonks' hair changed from being vibrant gold to a mousy brown. Finally Tonks' face rounded out a little, seeming to take on a more heart shaped appearance that suited her well. Oddly, Ginny thought Tonks looked even prettier like this than she had when she was trying to look like a swimsuit model.

"This is the real me," Tonks said softly. "I'm just plain and unattractive like this. I get so tired of people ignoring me, so I try to look more attractive. Harry always gives me a hard time about it. He says I'm pretty the way I am naturally. I know he's right, but I keep hoping someone else will think so."

Tonks began to change back, but Ginny stopped her. "Don't, Tonks. You really are prettier like you really are."

"She's right, dear," agreed Molly and Madame Pomfrey as one.

"You really think so?" asked Tonks with a vulnerable look in her eyes as she reversed the change and stood before them as her real self.

"Definitely!" exclaimed Ginny. "Oh my God! We can share outfits now! You should stay like this today and see just how much people like you for who you really are."

"Deal!" agreed Tonks with a wide and heartfelt grin on her face. "I'll stay like this on the condition that you let me do your hair today. I just love the color and length of it."

"Deal!"

The two girls spent the next half hour giggling and whispering together, only stopping long enough to say farewell to Madame Pomfrey when the woman left. It was not until Harry walked into the kitchen that they finally stopped speaking in half whispers and extended fits of giggling. Much to Tonks' obvious surprise, Harry gave her a big smile and hug before he sat down next to Ginny and did the same thing. Ginny almost felt jealous, but the fact that Harry took her hand in his and leaned over to kiss her cheek quickly erased any such notions from her mind.

"It's good to see you laughing and smiling so much," he said smiling at Ginny, before he turned and smiled at Tonks as well. "It's also good to have my cousin back and not the stranger that's been staying in her room."

Tonks stuck her tongue out at Harry and winked at Ginny. "Watch out for this one, Ginny. He's a charmer."

Several days later, after returning to Hogwarts, Ginny was sitting in the Great Hall, eating breakfast thinking about what her mother and Tonks had told her. She looked around at the other girls and realized she had been foolish for trying to fit into such a narrow image of what she thought a girl should look like. The thought alone made her snicker to herself.

"What's so funny?" asked Harry as he sat down beside her, grabbing a plate and fixing himself something to eat.

"I just realized how stupid I've been," answered Ginny. "I was trying to look like other people, but they're also trying to look like other people. I have to wonder if anyone really looks like themselves."

Harry nodded as he filled his plate. "I know what you mean, but I think some people do try to just be themselves. I mean, look at Hermione for example. She's not out to look like anyone but herself."

"But that's Hermione," objected Ginny with a giggle. "Oh don't look at me that way, Harry. I didn't mean she was ugly or anything. If she did something with her hair and teeth, Hermione would be even prettier than she already is. That's the point though. She's comfortable with herself. I think that makes her even prettier."

She watched as Harry glanced over at where Hermione had just sat down between Ron and Neville. Ginny could almost see as Harry appraised the bushy haired young witch. Then, with a smile, he turned back towards her. Taking Ginny's hand in his, Harry leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Hermione is pretty in her own way, I'll give you that," whispered Harry in her ear, "but you're prettier."

Ginny felt her cheeks heat up as she ducked her head. "Thank you, Harry."

They chatted quietly as they ate lunch. Their main concern was trying to figure out who had attacked Harry before the Christmas break, but they still had no solid leads. Ron thought it must be someone from Slytherin house, but Neville argued that it could be anyone from any house. Ginny listened as they talked and felt a cold dread at the very thought that someone was trying to harm Harry. Overpowering her sense of fear though was a burning rage that Harry was in danger. If she had her way, she was going to do everything in her power to protect Harry. By the time they finished eating, Ginny was firm in her resolve to make sure that no further harm came to him.

"Come on, Gin," Harry said as he stood up. "We can't sit here all day chatting. We've got to get to classes."

Ginny took the hand Harry held out for her and together they walked out of the Great Hall side by side. They walked in silence, not feeling the need to fill the air with mindless chatter. She could hear footsteps close behind them and turned to glance over her shoulder. Neville, Ron, and Hermione followed closely behind them, their wands in their hands ready to defend themselves at a moment's notice. Ginny knew they were there in case anyone tried to attack Harry again and it made her feel better to have them close by.

"My bodyguards," Harry chuckled softly when he noticed Ginny looking over her shoulder. "I can barely go to the bathroom without them."

"They just want you to be safe," Ginny assured him.

"I know," sighed Harry. "Just gets a bit old after a little while."

Ginny was about to say something more, but suddenly Harry pulled her to the side, pinning her to the wall, and shouted, "Everyone! Down! NOW!"

No sooner had Harry spoken than a sickly green beam of light shot past them, barely missing Harry as he continued to shield her with his own body. She was unsure what the spell had been, but just seeing the sickly green spell had sent a deadly cold shiver down her spine. Looking past Harry, Ginny saw her brother and friends down on the ground rolling towards the walls. Harry pulled Ginny behind a column before peeking out to see if any other spells were headed his way. There was a small explosion as the green spell hit the wall at the far end of the hallway and Ginny realized that it had barely been a second since Harry's warning, yet it seemed much longer.

"Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall shrieked as she ran towards them from the direction of the Great Hall. "What happened here? Was that what I think it was?"

"If you mean was that the Killing Curse, then the answer is yes," Harry calmly answered the now pale faced woman. "Someone at the far end of the hallway cast it. I only avoided it because I saw the color as it traveled the distance. Trust me, that's a color I'll never be able to forget. If they had been closer, I would have been hit."

Ginny heard the cold certainty in Harry's voice and knew he was right. She buried her face in Harry's robes and began to silently cry. Harry immediately wrapped his arms around her and began stroking her hair. He continued to speak with the professor, but Ginny could not force herself to listen as she replayed the attack in her mind over and over again. It was only when a new voice joined them that she looked up to see Professor Dumbledore standing with them.

"We need to immediately inspect everyone's wands, Albus!" Professor McGonagall was saying.

"Let's not rush to accuse someone, Minerva," countered the Headmaster. "We're not yet sure what happened here.

"Albus!" shrieked the Deputy Headmistress. "How can you say that at a time like this? Someone tried to kill Mr. Potter, again! Every second we wait just gives his attacker that much more time to clear the spell from their wand!"

"Forget it, Professor," Harry said coldly. "The Headmaster isn't interested in catching whoever cast that spell."

Albus Dumbledore looked outraged at Harry's accusation. "I assure you that I am most interested in finding the person who attacked you, Mr. Potter!"

Ginny watched as Harry suddenly pulled out his wand and pointed it at the floor. In a matter of seconds he had cast several harmless jinxes, charms, and hexes at the floor. Harry then handed his wand to Professor McGonagall with a hard humorless smile on his face.

"That was seventeen spells," he said matter-of-factly to the stunned woman. "Sirius was an Auror and told me how the _Priori Incantatem_ spell only picks up the last fifteen spells cast with a wand. I added two more just for demonstration purposes and did it in less than thirty seconds. If the Headmaster had really wanted to catch my attacker, he would have already acted, but he didn't. What does that tell you about his priorities? Are those the actions of a man that wants to find out who attacked me?"

Dumbledore looked furious now, glaring at Harry as if at any moment he would attack him. Ginny immediately stepped in front of Harry to protect him, but realized she was not the only one to react. Professor McGonagall, along with Neville, Hermione, and Ron, all took up positions in front of Harry. Dumbledore looked even angrier for a moment before spinning around and stalking away from the small group.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall sighed as she handed Harry back his wand. "I don't know what's gotten into Albus recently. He seems determined to turn a blind eye towards the events going on around you."

"It's not your fault, Professor," replied Harry with a smile.

"If there is anything I can do to help you, Harry, just let me know," Professor McGonagall said with a tone of firm resolve.

Harry thanked her and watched as the older woman walked away. "She's a good person."

It seemed that word of the second attack on Harry spread through the school faster than wildfire. Only the Slytherin students seemed upset that his attacker had failed, though they never said it out loud. Professor Flamel made it clear that if she found out anyone in her house was involved in the attack on Harry, then the Ministry would be the least of their worries. That earned the Potions Mistress a great deal of respect in Ginny's book.

However the attacks continued unabated, even with all of the professors doing their best to find the culprit. Luckily there were no more killing curses cast at Harry, but there were other more subtle attempts. Ginny had watched a suit of armor attack Harry with a large sword only to be destroyed by a Reductor Curse cast by Neville. After that, there was an incident involving a staircase that suddenly vanished from below Harry's feet as he was standing on it. Only Hermione's quick Levitation Charm saved Harry from falling to his death four floors below. The most terrifying, at least in Ginny's opinion, was the most recent one. While playing in a fairly normal Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, one of the Bludgers had suddenly gone rogue. Ginny had watched in terror as Harry streaked around the pitch with the Bludger hot on his trail the entire time. Fred and George had done their very best to protect him, but eventually Harry told them to leave him alone so that he might catch the Golden Snitch and finish the game. Grudgingly they had agreed. Sure enough Harry had caught the Snitch only a few minutes later, but the price for his victory had been a broken arm when the Bludger tried one last time to unseat him. Thankfully Professor Lockhart had run out onto the field and destroyed the Bludger with an unknown spell before he had hurriedly taken Harry to the hospital wing. It was what happened while Harry was in the hospital wing that was the really interesting part of the mystery surrounding the attack.

"I'm sure it was Dobby," Harry had told Ginny and the others later that night when he got back from having his arm healed. "Madame Pomfrey had just healed my arm when I saw him looking out of her office. He had those same strange eyes and was wringing his hands so fiercely that I thought he was going to rip the skin right from his fingers."

"Why do you think he was there?" Hermione had asked.

"No idea, but if I had to guess I would say he was still meddling, even after Mr. Knight told him not to," Harry said with a growl. "I told Professor Lockhart and Flamel about it. I'm not sure what they can do as long as Dumbledore is dragging his heels. I can only hope they can get the message to Mr. Knight and maybe he can get Dobby to stop."

Evidently the professors had not been able to get in touch with Harry's benefactor as the attacks continued. The attacks, though never seeming to be anything other than completely accidental, were so frequent that it was soon apparent to everyone in the school that Harry was living under a dark cloud. It was Ron that finally pointed out to them all that Dobby was only ever spotted right after one of these "accidents" and that was enough to convince everyone of the house-elf's guilt. It also lead to the notion that probably they were looking at two separate attackers. While Dobby seemed content to merely torment Harry, someone else wished to do truly permanent damage to him. "But why would he be after Harry?" Ginny asked as they all sat in the common room a few nights before Valentine's Day. "And who in the bloody hell is out to kill you?"

"Language, Ginny," corrected Hermione.

"Bugger that, Hermione," replied Ginny, playfully sticking her tongue out at the older girl.

"Ginny's right though. That's the big question, innit?" growled Ron. "Mr. Knight told Dobby not to muck about with Harry and I can't imagine anyone going against Mr. Knight. He might be trying to scare Harry, but so far none of his attacks seem to be meant to kill him. On the other hand, we've got a series of attacks that seem aimed at nothing less than Harry's death. We have the attack before Christmas, then Killing Curse in the hallway, and finally the stairs moving out from under him. Those attacks were serious and deadly."

Fred and George looked at each other thoughtfully, and then began speaking. "You all know that someone memory charmed us this summer."

"Least that's what we know from what Fred and I overheard Mum and Dad saying over the holidays," continued George.

Harry nodded and leaned forward so they could hear him better. "And Sirius was talking about how he thought it wasn't human magic."

"So, maybe it was Dobby?" asked Ginny. "But what would he be trying to hide from us that he had to erase the memory of?"

'"I think I know," answered Harry. "The night your Dad came and got Sirius was the same night your mother was going to deliver a letter I had written to Ginny."

"I never got any letter," objected Ginny.

Hermione had been writing their theories down and looked up with a wide smile. "He was trying to keep you two apart! I think he took that letter and I expect he was the one that tampered with the one Harry sent right after Ginny returned home this summer!"

"Makes sense," agreed Neville. "House-elves have a lot of magic at their command. Tampering with a letter or erasing someone's memory does not seem that far-fetched."

"So why is he trying to keep us apart?" Ginny asked, scooting over closer to Harry.

"We know that something bad is supposed to happen this year from what Mr. Knight told me," said Harry softly, causing the others to lean in around the table. "Maybe this has something to do with that. So far, other than someone trying to kill me, I don't think we've actually seen how bad it can really get."

"But is Dobby trying to cause that to happen, or is he trying to prevent it?" asked Neville. "I mean think about it, why try and warn us this summer if he wanted to hurt us?"

"So, he's trying to stop this bad thing from happening," stated Fred.

"And he thinks he can do that by separating Harry and Ginny," finished George.

"Lovely way to protect someone," snorted Neville. "Put them in the hospital wing to keep them safe."

Everyone was looking at Harry and Ginny now. Ginny could see the confusion in their eyes and knew that it matched her own. Ever since she and Harry had reconciled, she had felt that something was wrong. At first she had thought it was mere guilt concerning the way she had treated Harry for so many months, but then she realized there was something else. Her increasingly strange dreams combined with odd flashes of memory that made no sense convinced her that something else was going on that only she was aware of. She had tried to discuss it with Harry on several occasions, but Ginny never seemed to be able to find the right words whenever she tried.

"So, we have to figure out what has been going on that is out of place," stated Hermione, rousing Ginny from her thoughts. "Anyone?"

"I've got someone trying to kill me, again," Harry said with a dry chuckle. "Does that count?"

"Yes, I've already got that on my list, Harry," replied Hermione dryly. "I meant anything else."

"Well we were all Obliviated this summer," supplied Ron, pointing to himself and the twins.

"There's possibly a crazy house-elf trying to separate Harry and Ginny," added Neville.

"We've got two Professors at school this year that are associated with Mr. Knight," said Harry.

"My 'diet'," Ginny added so quietly that no one seemed to notice.

"Someone attacked Filch's cat," murmured Fred.

"Not to mention that odd message about the Chamber of Secrets," continued George.

Hermione wrote all of these down on her list, adding "I'm trying to find out more about that but so far I can't find anything. I wish I hadn't left my copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ at home."

"Leave that to us," Fred said with a grin.

"We'll have a copy in your hands by the weekend," finished George.

"I'll ask Professor Flamel about it as well," offered Ginny.

"Good," Harry said, looking at Ginny with a smile. "I'll send a letter to Sirius and Remus to see if they know anything. They might also be able to get in touch with Mr. Knight. Maybe he knows something."

"Good idea, Harry" beamed Hermione. "And I'll ask Professor McGonagall as well. We should all ask our professors."

"Don't bother trying to ask Dumbledore," growled Harry. "I've got a feeling he would hinder us more than help."

Over the rest of the week, the group of young Gryffindors spread out around the school asking questions of the staff. Fred and George surprised everyone by showing up the day after their chat with a brand new copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ for Hermione to look through. Hermione was torn between disapproval that they had obviously snuck out of school to purchase the book and a desire to find out about the Chamber. In the end it was her desire to learn something new that won out.

Professor McGonagall was another surprising source of information. Not only did she tell Hermione all about the legend of Slytherin's alleged Chamber of Secrets, she also signed a slip allowing Hermione access to the Restricted Section of the library in order to investigate there. Then, just for good measure, the Transfiguration teacher offered to let Harry and his friends use her classroom as a private meeting place to discuss what they were discovering away from any prying ears in the common room. She even joined in their discussion after hearing their theories.

"Normally I would not encourage this type of behavior, but this is not a normal situation," she told Harry the first night they all gathered in her classroom. "The Headmaster seems determined to turn a blind eye to the strange events going on this year. I cannot allow his pigheadedness to sway my own desire to see the guilty brought to justice."

"I'll take any help I can get right now. Besides, I'd rather work with you than behind your back, Professor," Harry told her, and everyone agreed.

Much to Ginny's surprise, Gwen and Colin had refused to take part in the meeting. Ginny's friends had been very distant since her reconciliation with Harry. It confused Ginny, but any attempt on her part to talk to them about it was met with hostility on Gwen's part and a sense of betrayal on Colin's. After several attempts to make peace with her two former friends , Ginny had finally given it up as a bad idea. The loss of her first two friends at Hogwarts hurt her deeply, but she could see no way of repairing the damage if she did not know the cause of it in the first place.

"So, the Chamber was opened at least once before? Fifty years ago you said?" Harry was asking the Transfiguration teacher. "Can you tell us anything else?"

"I wish I could, Harry," apologized McGonagall. "Unfortunately all I know is that it happened about fifty years ago. All the records recording the incident are sealed in Albus' office and he refuses to let me see them or tell me about it. It was years before I started and he and Professor Binns are the only remaining faculty from then."

"Binns is not talking," growled Ginny, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms tightly over her chest in frustration. "I tried to ask him about it and he refused to talk. I think Professor Dumbledore told him not to. I can't be sure though, but he hinted that the Headmaster would not be pleased if he said anything."

"I can confirm that, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said with a note of irritation in her voice. "I am, of course, ignoring his instructions based upon the danger to Mr. Potter."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said with a grateful smile.

"So, let's see if we got this right," began Fred.

"The Chamber is real and has been opened before," continued George.

Neville picked up from there adding, "and it's rumored to contain a monster that only Salazar Slytherin's true heir can control."

"Don't forget that in the last thousand years that no one had been able to find it," added Ron.

"Not only that but it is widely accepted that Slytherin's line died out, though no one can be sure," continued Hermione. "Still, given the large span of time, it is possible that anyone, even one of us, could be related to him and not know it."

Harry nodded as he listened to all of this, concentrating on the details. "What do we really know about Slytherin, other then he was one of the founders of Hogwarts and a raving pure-blood loony?"

"He and Godric Gryffindor were best friends until shortly before Salazar left," supplied Professor McGonagall. "He was also a very talented wizard, though he was said to be obsessed with the Dark Arts."

"Was he a Dark wizard?" asked Neville.

"There has never been any proof of that," answered McGonagall. "It can be assumed that if he wasn't a Dark wizard before he left Hogwarts, he eventually became one before his death."

"Okay, what else do we know about him?" prodded Harry.

"He kept his private life very secret," Hermione spoke up. "There are hardly any records of him after leaving Hogwarts, other than to mention his Chamber. Even those are sketchy at best."

"He was a Parselmouth," Ginny said suddenly, unsure why she said it.

"What's that?" asked Harry.

"It's the ability to talk to and understand the language of snakes," supplied Professor McGonagall.

"Big deal," sighed Harry. "I can do that. Lots of other witches and wizards probably can as well."

The gathering had gone silent though and it was immediately obvious that something was wrong. Ginny watched as everyone came to terms with Harry's announcement. It was sort of funny, really. They all looked like house-elves that had just been handed clothes.

"What?" asked Harry, looking confusedly around at his friends and professor.

"Harry," began Hermione nervously. "Being a Parselmouth is extremely rare. Only descendants of Salazar Slytherin are thought to have the ability."

"It's also considered to be a sign of being a Dark wizard," added Ron.

"Nonsense," stammered Professor McGonagall, looking just as shocked as the rest of them. "There is no proof of that."

"It's just another language, innit?" asked Harry. "I mean it's like speaking French. Just because I can do it doesn't make me rude."

"You can speak French?" asked Hermione, sidetracked by the new information.

Harry nodded and laughed. "Yeah, Sirius had me learn it, but that's not the point. So I can talk to snakes? Big deal. I'm never going to go Dark, no matter what language I speak."

"Too right," agreed Fred.

"That's our little Harry," George said with a grin.

"Still, it might be best if you didn't spread that information about, Harry," Neville said. "We don't want people thinking you are the Heir of Slytherin or something foolish like that."

"True," agreed Harry. "It would just give Dumbledore something else to use against me."

"Professor Dumbledore, Harry," corrected McGonagall, though she did not seem that upset by his slip.

"Yes, ma'am."

They broke up their meeting shortly after that, agreeing to meet again should any new information arise. As always, Harry was escorted back to Gryffindor Tower by his friends. Ginny walked silently by Harry's side, his hand holding hers and thought about why she had mentioned Slytherin's ability to talk with snakes. Honestly, she could not remember where she had learned about it, so why had she mentioned it at all? It was a mystery to her.

When they reached the common room, everyone split up to go their own way. Harry kissed her cheek, then said good night before heading up to his dorm. Ginny watched him go and wondered how she had gotten so lucky as to meet him and then have him forgive her after abandoning him. A small portion of her wondered if Harry had really forgiven her. Was it possible he was still angry but chose to hide it from her? Did it really matter?

"_God, why am I always asking myself questions?"_ she thought as she climbed the stairs to the girls' dorm. _"See! I'm doing it again!"_

Opening the door to her dorm, Ginny saw Gwen waiting for her. Gwen was sitting on her bed across from Ginny's with a scowl on her face. The raven haired girl looked as if she had been waiting for Ginny and, considering the drapes were closed on the other beds, it looked like no one wanted to be part of this conversation. Taking a deep breath, Ginny stepped inside and closed the door behind her. From the look of things, she did not think this was going to be a very friendly conversation.

"Did you and Harry have a good snog?" Gwen asked, with a sneer on her face.

"I wasn't snogging Harry," retorted Ginny, her face reddening as her temper began building.

"Oh, so you were off snogging someone else?" replied Gwen, her tone cold and nasty. "Starting a bit early at being the school tart, aren't you?"

Wand forgotten, Ginny flung herself at her former best friend, wanting nothing more than to rip the girl's hair out. Gwen had been ready though and met Ginny in the middle of the room. In moments they were rolling around the floor, hissing and spitting at each other between blows and kicks. Soon Ginny could taste blood and she already knew her uniform was ruined, not that it mattered to her. All that mattered was making Gwen pay for hurting her and ruining their friendship.

The two girls continued to fight for maybe five minutes until they were both so exhausted that they were left trading halfhearted slaps. If it were not so frustrating to Ginny, she would have thought the whole situation was funny. As it was, every time she struck Gwen's face, Ginny felt as if a piece of her soul was breaking off. How they had ended up in a situation like this was completely beyond her understanding.

"_What?"_ Ginny suddenly thought to herself. _"Why are we really fighting? Is it because she called me a tart or because she hurt my feelings?"_

"Stop!" screamed Ginny, pushing away from Gwen. "Why are we doing this? You're my best friend and we're acting like enemies. I want to know why?"

Gwen rolled away from Ginny, holding her torn blouse closed in an attempt to cover herself. Ginny looked down and sighed when she realized her own blouse and skirt were shredded. She scooted back to rest against the foot of her bed, picking up her discarded wand, and began trying to repair what was left of her clothes.

"Can you tell me the spell to do that?" asked Gwen from where she sat against her own bed.

"It's _Reparo_," answered Ginny. "Care to tell me what's crawled up your bum recently?"

Gwen looked down at her shirt with a blush and started repairing a long tear before she spoke. "You weren't the only one to dream about Harry. Ever since I read about him this summer, after I found out I was a witch, I dreamed about meeting him."

"I've known him almost two years now, Gwen," replied Ginny as she mended her blouse. "I know I wasn't talking to him for awhile, but that was all just a misunderstanding."

"I know," was Gwen's meek reply. "It's just when we first met, you were so angry with him. I knew you missed him a lot, but I guess somewhere down deep I wished he would notice me instead of you. I knew when he waved or smiled in my direction, it was you he was really looking at, but I told myself it was me he was looking at. It really felt good."

Ginny nodded and looked up at Gwen. "Harry does that to people. Just being around him makes you feel safe and warm, like he's protecting you. And that's just being near him. When he holds my hand or hugs me, it's a thousand times better."

"You're so lucky, Ginny," Gwen said in a watery voice. "I just wanted to feel that way, even if it was only once. I'm really sorry I've been such a silly bint, Ginny. I really am."

"I'm sure you will feel that way someday, Gwen," Ginny assured the crying girl. "So, we know what's bothering you, but why is Colin upset with me?"

Gwen suddenly let out a snort of laughter. "Umm…sort of the same reason, really."

"What? Colin likes me?" asked a very shocked Ginny.

"Not exactly, Ginny," replied Gwen with a giggle.

Ginny thought about that for a moment, then gasped when the answer came to her. "He likes Harry?"

"Close," answered Gwen laughing now. "Actually, he likes you BOTH."

"OOOOOOH…"

"Yeah…" giggles Gwen again.

"Wow…"

Gwen nodded, "I know…"

"Isn't he a bit young for that?" asked Ginny, wondering how Colin could know something like that already.

Gwen shrugged her shoulders. "He says he's always known he likes boys and girls."

"Lucky him," chuckled Ginny.

"How so?" asked Gwen, looking confused.

"Well think about it," answered Ginny, standing up and grabbing her nightclothes. "I mean he's got twice as many chances of finding his true love."

Gwen thought about it for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "True. Lucky him."

Ginny stepped into the bathroom and laid her things down on the counter before turning on the water for a bath. Checking the mirror, she saw several scratches and the start of a black eye. Harry would be upset, right along with her brothers, but Ginny considered it a price worth paying if it meant that she and Gwen were friends again. As she stepped into the bath, Ginny was a little concerned how to patch things up with Colin, but that was something she could not think about right now.

"_Both of us,"_ Ginny giggled as she thought about it. _"At least he has good taste."_

Stepping out of the bath twenty minutes later, Ginny was surprised when someone, or something, handed her a towel. A shriek died on her lips when she recognized the tiny figure as belonging to none other than Dobby the house-elf. Grabbing the towel, Ginny wrapped it around herself before rounding on the elf.

"You," she hissed. "You're the one that's been trying to separate Harry and me. Bet you're the one that's been trying to hurt Harry as well! Aren't you?"

"Never, Ginny Weasley!" shrieked the shaking elf. "Dobby would never intentionally hurt Harry Potter. Harry Potter is the greatest wizard ever! Even the great King respects Harry Potter!"

"But you are the one that Obliviated my family and tried to keep Harry and me apart, aren't you?" accused Ginny.

Dobby hung his head, wringing his hands so fast they were nearly a blur. "Dobby was trying to protect Harry Potter's Wheezy. Dobby thought if Harry Potter's Wheezy was sad that she wouldn't come to Hogwarts and she would be safe. If she was safe, then maybe Harry Potter would be safe as well."

"So you Obliviated my family and hurt Harry and my feelings to keep me safe?" growled Ginny, desperately wanting to strangle the crazy elf. "You've got a really messed up idea of what's safe and what's not."

She took a step towards the disturbed elf to do just that when Dobby began banging his head against the stone wall. Horrified, Ginny leapt forward and pulled Dobby from the wall. The elf struggled to continue, crying with deep body shaking sobs. Ginny was only able to hold him back with the greatest of efforts.

"Stop that!" she hissed. "Didn't Mr. Knight tell you not to hurt yourself? Now tell me what this is all about."

"Dobby understands Harry Potter's Wheezy," sobbed Dobby. "Dobby sees why Harry Potter loves his Wheezy so much. She's just as great as Harry Potter."

Ginny felt her cheeks turn bright red at the elf's words thinking, "_Harry loves me?_"

"Dobby didn't want to hurt Harry Potter's Wheezy," continued the elf. "Dobby is learning that dark deeds is planned for Hogwarts this year and Harry Potter's Wheezy is in danger. Dobby just wants to protect her!"

"But why am I in danger, Dobby?" asked Ginny, standing and straightening her towel.

"Bad, nasty Dark wizards is wanting to hurt Wheezy's family," blurted Dobby, yanking his ears so hard he yelped. "Bad, Dobby! Must not speak badly of Dobby's family!"

"Stop that, Dobby!" commanded Ginny. "So you found out your family wanted to hurt my family and you decided to warn us? Is that right?"

Dobby nodded his head looking nervous, but Ginny continued before he could speak. "I'm guessing you can't tell me who your family is, so I won't ask. What I really want to know is if I'm still in danger? Is Harry in danger still?"

"Dobby doesn't know, but Dobby thinks you are safe for now," whispered Dobby. "Harry Potter is…"

There was a sudden knock at the door and Dobby vanished with a loud pop. Ginny cursed out loud in frustration as she stalked towards the door. Opening it, she saw a stunned looking Gwen standing there. Not even waiting for Gwen to speak, Ginny grabbed the startled girl's hand and began dragging her towards the dorm's door.

"We need to talk to Harry, right now!" hissed Ginny.

"Ummm…okay…" replied Gwen, but she suddenly planted her feet to stop Ginny from reaching the door. "But you might want to get dressed first. Not that Harry would mind seeing you in just a towel.

As if to prove a point, Ginny's towel picked that exact moment to come loose and fall to the floor. Ginny blushed beet red, letting go of Gwen's hand and dashing into the bathroom. Gwen could not stop from laughing as Ginny streaked away.

"He probably wouldn't mind seeing that either, Ginny," Gwen called after her friend.

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**Author's Note:** Fifteen is an arbitrarily picked number for the _Priori Incantatem_ spell limit. I assume that the spell cannot include every spell ever cast by the wand, though when it comes to Harry and Voldemort's wands this may be incorrect.


	12. Chapter 11: Friendly Enemies

_Three quick things:_

_1. Thank you to my lovely and talented Betas, C & J. Without them I would not be the author I am today. _

_2. Do you think I should change the story summaries or maybe put them on my Bio page?_

_3. Why are you reading my silly notes when you could be reading the chapter?_

_Read and please review._

_Chris_

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**Chapter 11: Friendly Enemies**

Harry Potter sat waiting for Potions class to begin and tried not to be surprised by his life, though recently he found that very hard to do. First, there had been the midnight visit from Ginny and Gwen the night before. After physically dragging him down to the deserted common room, they had announced quite casually that Gwen and Colin had crushes on him. Gwen, of course, had blushed furiously at the admission and Harry had felt his own face turning a rather respectable shade of red as well. Ignoring Colin's part in their news, Harry had accepted the announcement rather calmly. He then explained to Gwen that while he liked her well enough as a friend, there was only room enough in his heart for Ginny. That statement earned him a rather large hug and a kiss on the cheek from the madly grinning redhead in question and a look of understanding from Gwen.

That had not been the end of their announcements, though as it seemed the house-elf, Dobby, had finally revealed himself as at least one of Harry's mysterious attackers. Actually that was not absolutely certain, based on what the elf had said to Ginny. It was clear however that Dobby was behind the Weasleys having their memories modified and the series of events that had led to his estrangement from Ginny. Supposedly this was only done out of a misguided desire to protect Harry and Ginny. Still, it infuriated Harry to think that the house-elf had tampered with his adopted family in such a callous manner, even if it was with good intentions. It was only the fact that Dobby claimed Ginny had been in danger and was now apparently safe that kept Harry from tracking the house-elf down and giving him a good thrashing.

"_Of course, he never did get to answer as to whether I'm still in danger or not,"_ thought Harry. _"Given the recent events I have to think I've still got a target on my forehead, literally. What I wouldn't give for a nice quiet, normal life just like everyone else."_

"Good afternoon, class," called Professor Flamel as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Good afternoon, Professor," everyone replied politely, even the Slytherin students.

Harry had to admire the Potion Mistress' style. Since her arrival and subsequent takeover as Head of Slytherin House, there had been a drastic change in her House's behavior. Much to the surprise of the other Houses, the Slytherins were much better behaved this year. A few of them were turning out to be friendly, even when she was not watching them. It was only bad apples like Malfoy and his gang that insisted on continuing the open hostilities against the other Houses, and Harry had to admit that much of that was his fault. It shamed Harry to admit it, but his embarrassing Malfoy in such a public manner had only served to fan the flames of Malfoy's hate and anger. Now it seemed Malfoy was merely biding his time until he could strike back at Harry and his friends.

"_I would have been better off just punching the stupid plonker instead of embarrassing him like that,"_ Harry thought to himself as he waited for Professor Flamel to reveal what their lesson would be for the day_. "Nothing I can do now. I doubt he'd believe an apology."_

"How are you all doing today?" asked Professor Flamel as she stepped to the front of the classroom.

There was a general murmur of replies. Professor Flamel always asked this question and no matter how many replies she received, she always seemed to hear them all. It was a rather impressive display on her part and one that always made everyone feel appreciated. Well, almost everyone. Draco Malfoy always seemed rather resentful that the Potions Mistress did not drop what she was doing to focus solely on him, but then Draco seemed to feel that way about almost everything. Harry just wrote it off as a character flaw, due to Draco's rather shoddy upbringing.

"Today we will be working on something rather fun," continued the professor. "If you turn to page 449 of your potions text, you will find the instructions for a potion that will lift your spirits, literally. The Fizzy Lifting Drink is actually rather easy to make and you will be allowed to take a bottle of it with you when you leave class today. Just remember, you are not allowed to use it inside the castle."

Turning to the page in question, Harry could barely suppress a chuckle. It was actually a rather famous potion, thanks to its mention in a Muggle movie. In fact, from the look on several people's faces, mostly Muggle-born, Harry could see that he was not the only one that appreciated the professor's little joke. At first Harry wondered why she had assigned such an easy potion to make, but he figured she must have had her reasons. Joining the line that had formed in front of the cabinet that held the rarer ingredients, Harry chatted quietly with Ron and Hermione. Unlike other professors, Professor Flamel did not have a problem with people talking in her class unless they were sharing work. Soon he had his supplies. Harry took his seat again and began setting up his equipment.

"Harry," a quiet voice said from behind him. "Have you thought anymore on who is attacking you?"

Looking up, Harry realized the voice was that of Professor Flamel, and he nodded. "We know it was Dobby the house-elf that was behind the simpler attacks here and at the Burrow. We still don't know who was behind the attacks in the hallways though."

Professor Flamel nodded and whispered, "Have you noticed any other strange occurrences, other than that? They could be more important than you know."

"There was the attack on Mrs. Norris," Harry replied, cutting up his newt's tail. "Other than that, I can't think of anything else. You probably know more about that than I do."

Professor Flamel nodded and Harry could see the sadness in her eyes as she answered, "I do, Harry. Believe me when I tell you that I want to tell you what's going on, but I had to swear a Wizard's Oath not to tell you."

"I take it that Mr. Knight feels I need to figure this out for myself?" guessed Harry, his voice laced with bitterness.

"I know, Harry," sighed Professor Flamel, patting Harry's shoulder. "He doesn't like it anymore than you do."

As soon as the Potions Mistress had walked away, Hermione leaned over so only Harry and the others could hear her whisper, "So, there really is more going on than we originally thought."

"And Mr. Knight knows what it is," added Neville in a hushed voice.

Ron grunted and nodded his head mumbling sarcastically, "But he isn't going to tell us. Awful nice of him, don't you think?"

Harry nodded again, silently agreeing with his friends as he added the last ingredient to his potion before setting it to simmer. "I think we need to call a meeting tonight and make a list of anything strange that's happened so far. If the Professor thinks it's important, I have to wonder why."

"I'll pass the message, Harry," volunteered Ron.

"Good," Harry said with a nod. "I'm going to ask Professor McGonagall if she can get in touch with Sirius and Remus. If it's possible, I think they should be here as well."

"Should we invite Professor Flamel and Professor Lockhart?" asked Neville as he stirred his simmering potion.

Glancing up at the Potions Mistress, Harry nodded. "I'll ask, but if they have promised Mr. Knight that they won't tell me anything, then I'm not sure how much help they'll really be."

Hermione suddenly smiled deviously saying, "Maybe it's not about what they will answer, Harry. Maybe it's really about what they won't answer."

"That's brilliant, Hermione!" exclaimed all three boys at once.

Several hours later, the four friends found themselves gathered together in the Transfiguration classroom with all the other members of their little group. Professor Flamel had not been able to attend, but she had made arrangements to sneak Sirius into the school for the night. Remus had been unable to attend due to the full moon. It felt good to see his uncle again, even though it had only been a short time since he had seen him last. Looking around the rest of the room, Harry felt that possibly they would be able to solve this mystery if they worked together. With the addition of his uncle, Harry had a good feeling that they could accomplish anything.

"You look good, Harry," said Sirius, walking over and giving his adopted nephew a hug. "I can't say I wasn't worried about you, what with all these attacks."

"I know," agreed Harry, hugging his uncle back tightly. "We did manage to find out who was behind some of the attacks. Seems a house-elf named Dobby, the same one we saw at the Den, was behind several of the attacks. He admitted to Ginny that he was behind the attack at the Burrow as well. I guess he thought if he kept Ginny and me apart that she would be safe, or something just as silly."

If Sirius was surprised by Harry's revelation, he did not show it as he spoke. "That makes sense actually. Everything I discovered about that attack pointed to a magical creature being involved. Knowing that a house-elf was involved just clears up the rest of the muck. Their magic is completely different than a witch's or wizard's. Knowing this, though, I think I can undo the spell he used to modify their memories. I'll ask Molly for her help tonight when I get home and let you know the results. Meanwhile, you should check out the books in your satchel for ideas on how to defend yourself against memory charms."

"I'll do that tonight before bed," assured Harry with a wide grin. "We better get this meeting started if we want to get anything done tonight."

After a few minutes of pleasant conversation, they all took seats around the large round table that Professor McGonagall had Transfigured for them. However, no sooner had Harry taken his seat between Sirius and Ginny when there was a loud banging on the door. Sirius quickly ducked down below the table as Professor McGonagall walked over and opened the door. The door was barely open when a heavily breathing Professor Lockhart ducked inside, closing the door behind him. Harry looked at the disheveled professor and realized that things were not going to go well for them.

"You have to get out of here," panted Professor Lockhart. "The Headmaster knows about your meeting and he's on his way here now to break it up. I convinced Hagrid to delay him, but that won't last very long."

"Bloody hell," swore Harry under his breath, causing Ginny to giggle. "Everyone, get back to the common room right now. I'll stay here with Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore already knows we're meeting here tonight, so we'll let him find us practicing Transfigurations. Now, go!"

As strange as it might seem to an outsider to see so many people taking orders from a twelve year-old boy, that is exactly what everyone did. Sirius hugged his godson tightly, then turned and sprinted out the door without saying a word. Harry's friends and Professor Lockhart were next to leave, throwing worried glances at Harry as they escaped. Only Ginny refused to leave, instead plopping down at an empty desk. As Professor McGonagall changed the table and chairs back into their original forms, Harry stalked towards Ginny.

"You need to go, now, Ginny!" urged Harry with a pleading look.

"Not a chance, Harry," replied Ginny, crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm not leaving you alone."

"Now listen here," began Harry, but he was cut off by a harsh cough from Professor McGonagall.

Harry spun around, pulling his wand as he did so. He looked at the table in front of him and saw that on one end was a large cage filled with white mice. On the other end of the table was a pile of several badly transfigured tea cups. When he realized that the Transfiguration teacher had purposefully botched the transfiguration of the mice into tea cups, Harry almost burst into laughter. However a moment later, the door to the classroom burst open revealing the Headmaster staring at Harry with eyes that held no trace of their normal twinkle. It was only the fact that both Harry and Professor McGonagall seemed to be in the middle of a lesson that prevented the Headmaster from doing anything hasty.

"Now if you remember to concentrate on your outcome, you'll get far better results, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said calmly before turning to look at the Headmaster. "Hello, Albus. To what do we owe this visit?"

"Hello, Headmaster," chorused Harry and Ginny with what they hoped were believable smiles.

Dumbledore seemed to reevaluate the situation in a moment, smiling suddenly as the twinkle returned to his eyes. "Oh, I was just out on a stroll about the castle. One of the drawbacks of reaching my age is I find it difficult to fall asleep without a bit of exercise. I was just about to return to my quarters when I noticed the light on in your classroom, Minerva. I thought it best to make sure none of the students were doing things they should not be."

Harry listened to the Headmaster's explanation with a sense of detachment. While on the surface, it would sound perfectly logical and even reasonable for the Headmaster to be wandering about the castle at night, Harry knew the real reason the man was here. With that knowledge, Harry could see whole new levels of meaning behind the Headmaster's words. The fact that, as Dumbledore spoke, Harry could see the man's fist was tightly clenched around the strange crystal he always carried only served to put Harry even more on edge.

"_Bloody thing gives me the creeps,"_ he thought to himself, tearing his eyes away from the strange crystal.

Glancing at Ginny, Harry saw that she had noticed the crystal as well, but her reaction was more severe than his own. Ginny's face had gone so pale that her freckles looked like drops of red paint on white marble. It was only when she realized that Harry was looking at her that Ginny tore her eyes away from the crystal. She looked up at Harry from where she sat with eyes filled with what he could only call terror. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but Ginny suddenly jerked her head towards the table and mouthed, "_Practice_." Harry understood what she meant and turned his attention back to the table in front of him.

Reaching into the cage, Harry pulled out one of the white mice and set it down on the table in front of him. The terrified mouse tried to scurry away from what it must have known was coming, but Harry made a jabbing motion with his wand, which caused the mouse to freeze in its tracks. Harry had not actually cast a spell, but instead had silently commanded the mouse to remain still. Without even thinking about it, Harry pointed his wand at the mouse again and once again commanded it silently. However, this time the command was for the mouse to become a perfect teacup, which the mouse promptly changed into. He had felt the magic seemed to rush down his arm and out his hand, bypassing his wand altogether. Whatever the method, there on the table in front of him was now a perfect teacup with images of little dancing mice upon its sides.

"Mr. Potter had asked for some help with his basic Transfiguration skills," Professor McGonagall was saying in answer to a question from the Headmaster. "I had some free time tonight, so we have been working on basic animal transformations. Miss Weasley asked if she could join us and I approved."

"Very admirable," replied Dumbledore, now staring at the teacup in front of Harry. "Mr. Potter seems to have made great progress with your help. If I might ask, Mr. Potter, when did you learn to cast spells silently?"

Harry looked up at the Headmaster rather confused before he realized he had not actually used a spell on the mouse to Transfigure it. Glancing at Professor McGonagall, he saw her looking rather surprised as she looked at the teacup he had just created. Obviously silent casting was not something that someone his age normally did, though he knew for a fact that his uncles and Tonks did it all the time. Thinking quickly, Harry formulated a reply to the Headmaster's question that he hoped would not lead to any questions he did not want to answer yet.

"My uncles have been teaching me, Sir," he answered as calmly as possible. "I really didn't get it until Professor McGonagall started tutoring me."

Turning to look at Professor McGonagall, the Headmaster seemed to be examining her for any sign that what Harry was saying was true before he turned back to Harry saying, "Is that right, Minerva? Nonverbal spell casting is a rather advanced technique for a second year student, don't you agree?"

"Actually, Albus, Mr. Potter seems to be a natural at it," she answered without hesitation. "However, this is the first time that he has gotten such exemplary results with it. I think house points are in order for such fine work. Wouldn't you agree, Albus?"

Dumbledore seemed to consider that for a moment before smiling back at Harry with the first genuine smile Harry could remember seeing from him all year long. "I do indeed, Minerva. Five points to Gryffindor for your fine work, Harry, and an extra five points if you can reverse the spell."

"I completely agree," Professor McGonagall said with a smile of her own. "So, Mr. Potter, can you change the teacup back into a mouse?"

Harry thought about it for a moment, glancing at Ginny for support. Ginny gave Harry a brilliant smile, which filled him with confidence. Turning back to the teacup, Harry once again focused on what he wanted to happen and silently commanded the teacup to become a mouse. Once again he felt the magic flowing down his arm and out his hand. A moment later, the cup shimmered and seemed to fold back in on itself as it became the little white mouse that it had started out as. Hiding the surprised look on his own face, Harry wondered if he had always been able to do this, or if it was some new talent he had just stumbled across. Whatever the case might be, he was sure that this ability would come in handy if he could apply it to other spells.

"Wonderful work, Mr. Potter!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall.

"I wholeheartedly agree," added Dumbledore. "Five more points to Gryffindor for a most impressive display of nonverbal spell work. Well done, Mr. Potter."

An hour later after many more displays of nonverbal casting and nearly one hundred points for Gryffindor being awarded by the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall finally announced that it was time to call it a night. Dumbledore almost seemed reluctant to let Harry leave, but after Ginny's fifth yawn in as many minutes, he seemed to realize he could not keep the two youngsters any longer. Saying a final farewell and good night, the Headmaster left to return to his quarters as Professor McGonagall escorted Harry and Ginny back to their common room.

"I'm a little surprised by all of that," Harry said once he was sure Dumbledore was not following them. "That's the first time this year he's actually been nice to me, or at least not scowling at me."

"Whatever else Albus may be now, he was once the best Transfiguration teacher this school had ever seen," replied the professor.

"I can't imagine anyone being better at Transfiguration than you, Professor," Ginny said, trying not to yawn as she said it. "I will say that I liked him much better the way he was tonight rather than how he normally is."

"Thank you, Miss Weasley, but I assure you that the Headmaster's skills far outshine my own. What you saw tonight was the Albus Dumbledore I remember from before the rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," replied the older woman with a sad smile before looking back at Harry. "Your skills with nonverbal casting seem to have brought that side of his personality back to the forefront tonight. It was really very surprising to see someone as young as you with the focus to nonverbally cast such complex spells. Did your uncles really teach you how to do that?"

Harry shook his head before looking up at his teacher. "Actually, no they didn't. I've seen them do it loads of times, but this was the first time I ever did it myself. To be honest, I didn't even realize I was doing it until the Headmaster pointed it out to me. For some reason I just didn't want to tell him that. Please, don't tell him?"

"You have my word, Harry," she said softly, using his first name to show her sincerity. "I will not tell anyone of this until you tell me it is acceptable to do so."

"Thanks, Minerva," replied Harry with a crooked grin that made the older woman laugh.

"You obviously inherited your father's mischievous nature," she said with a laugh. "Although given who your uncles are, I suppose that cannot be helped. I wonder what else you have learned from them over the years."

"Oh, I still have a few secrets," Harry replied with a mysterious sparkle in his eyes. "Someday I may just show you a few tricks they've taught me."

"I look forward to that day, Harry."

The rest of the way back to the Gryffindor common room was filled with quiet chatter and the occasional laugh. Professor McGonagall asked Harry to stop by her classroom the following night after dinner for an actual teaching session. Harry agreed on the condition that Ginny could join them, to which the older woman immediately agreed. Saying farewell soon afterwards when they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry gave the password and they parted ways. No sooner had Harry stepped inside with Ginny than his friends were there.

"How'd it go, Harry?" asked Neville as soon as he and Ginny made their way over to a couch and sat down.

"It was really very surprising," answered Ginny, sliding over and sitting closely next to Harry.

Harry nodded, wrapping an arm around Ginny's small shoulders. "Believe it or not, Dumbledore was actually really nice to me tonight. He was giving us tips on how to perform certain types of Transfigurations easier. I actually learned a lot from him."

"Yeah," agreed Ginny in a sleepy voice as she rested her head on Harry's shoulder. "He got really interested when Harry started casting the spells nonverbally."

"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione, looking both disappointed she had missed out on the private lesson from Dumbledore and shocked at Harry's ability. "You got private lessons from Dumbledore, and you were casting spells nonverbally? That's really advanced magic. We don't learn that until our sixth year. How did you learn to do it?"

"Calm down and be quiet, Hermione," hissed Harry, looking around to see if anyone had overheard her. "We don't need anyone overhearing us and spreading what I can do to my enemies, now do we?"

"Sorry, Harry," mumbled Hermione, looking as if she was about to cry. "I just got so excited."

Harry nodded and smiled at her saying, "I know, and I'm sorry I snapped at you. Just keep your voice down, okay?"

Quickly running through the details of his odd encounter with Dumbledore, Harry tried to come to grips with the fact that the Headmaster was not always against him. It was a strange concept to him, and not one that was easy to come to terms with. Dumbledore had seemed to go out of his way to punish Harry for independent thinking, not to mention defending himself against attacks. It was almost as if there were two Albus Dumbledores. There was the one that seemed to want to control Harry's every move and then there was the one that everyone seemed to like and respect. It just did not make sense to Harry what had happened to make the Headmaster act the way he did.

"_Wait a minute,"_ Harry thought suddenly, turning to look down at where Ginny had drifted off to sleep, still leaning against him. _"That crystal. Mr. Knight warned Dumbledore about it and Ginny seemed to be just as creeped out about it as I was. I've got to ask her about that tomorrow."_

However, the following day seemed to be nothing but a continuing exercise in frustration for Harry. Not only did he not seem to be able to find any time to talk to Ginny, but everyone seemed determined to bother him over the smallest things. Whether it was one of his friends asking him about the previous night or the pile of homework that had built up, Harry seemed to be busy all day long. When it was finally time for dinner that night, Harry was sure that he would be able to talk to Ginny. Unfortunately she received a detention from Filch for tracking mud into the castle and was forced to eat quickly before reporting to the caretaker's office. So, frustrated that he was unable to talk to Ginny, Harry made his way alone though the hallways of Hogwarts to Professor McGonagall's office.

Knocking on her door, Harry barely waited a second before he heard the professor calling from inside, "Come in, Harry."

What followed was two hours of intense practice. Actually, it was more than intense. It was downright nasty and grueling work. Professor McGonagall had not only tested Harry's Transfiguration skills, but also his Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts skills. All of this was done non-verbally and with only a few exceptions he had done quite well. When she finally allowed him to leave, Harry wanted nothing more than to crawl into his nice soft and warm bed to sleep for at least twelve or so hours. That would have been too easy considering the rest of his day and soon enough Harry realized he was standing in a part of the castle he had never seen before.

The hallways were dark and dusty, though there were occasional spots of light on the floor from large stained glass windows. The images depicted in the windows were quite beautiful, especially since they moved just like magical portraits. Entering a rather short hallway, Harry looked at the wall to his right and saw four of the most beautiful windows he had seen yet. Each window was dedicated to a single figure and each was amazingly detailed. The first window was filled with the image of a very beautiful woman. Her long blonde hair flowed down her back as she walked through a field of roses the color of blood. Her gown, as it looked nothing like the robes that witches wore, was silver and looked like something a queen would wear.

"I wonder who she is?" Harry asked out loud, not expecting an answer.

"I was Queen Guinevere when I lived," answered the figure of the woman, turning to look at Harry. "I ruled by my King's side until circumstances pulled us apart."

"She means she shagged someone else," shouted the next window over. "I go off and fight one lousy war. She has to run off and diddle the hired help. Bint didn't even have the decency to write me a 'Dear Johnnie.' Off she goes with her knickers 'round her ankles, and not even a note."

Harry watched stunned as the figure he clearly recognized as Mr. Knight waved from the next window. "Sorry if I don't sound every bit the King I'm supposed to be, but some little prat chucked a Bludger through me a few years back. I guess some of the original glass was lost, so they replaced it with new. Never really been myself since then."

"An uncouth cad is what you are," shrieked the image of the legendary Queen. "I never abandoned my wifely duties! You speak lies, just as you did when you lured me to your bed on our wedding night."

"She was installed before she cheated on me," explained the image of King Arthur, making a rude hand gesture in the direction of his wife. "Says she doesn't know anything that happened after that, or so she claims. Neither does the fat bastard in the picture at the far end. He's the one she ran off with, Sir Lancelot du Lac, or as I like to call him, 'the fat bastard that diddled my wife and ran off with the royal jewels.'"

Harry looked at the window at the far end of the hallway and saw the image of a rather heavyset knight on a white horse. The knight seemed to be doing his best to hide behind a tree in the background, but between the size of his horse and the size of his belly, it was a losing battle. Glancing back and forth between the image of the beautiful woman and the fat knight, Harry just could not imagine how the two of them could have ever ended up together. It was as his eyes were roving back and forth that he noticed the figure in the fourth window.

The scene in the window was like the one of the Queen, only the roses were white rather than red in this scene. The woman was turned towards the scenery, so her face could not be seen, but her hair was long and red. Harry felt drawn to the image and stepped closer to it in order to get a better look. Unlike the other windows, this one did not seem to move at all. The other windows, now silent as Harry looked at their companion, looked sadly at the frozen image. Harry was surprised to hear the sound of crying from the Queen's image.

"We do not know her name," said the Queen when Harry looked over at her. "She was installed after us and we have no memory of her."

"Never would tell us why they put her here with us," added the King's image. "We never gave up trying to get her to tell us, but it's too late now."

"Why?" asked Harry, turning back to the frozen image.

"Same Bludger that got me turned right back around and shattered her," answered the King. "We're not like them fancy portraits that can go traipsing all over the bloody castle. We're stuck in these here windows. So, when that there Bludger shattered her window, there was nothing anyone could do about it. The magic they used to make her image wasn't as strong as what they used for the rest of us."

"Sadly, the lout speaks the truth, for once," continued the Queen. "Though they did toil for many days and nights, the magic that had granted her some small semblance of life was gone. The last thing we saw of her face, or heard of her voice, was a soft sigh as she turned to face the roses she loved so much."

The image of the King nodded, looking at Harry with a sad smile on his face. "Right after that the Bludger shattered her glass. Least she got to go while looking at her flowers. She sure loved them flowers."

Harry was still thinking about the sad image of the unknown woman several minutes later as he waved goodbye to the strange stained glass windows. From what he had been able to learn from the King and his former Queen, the part of the castle Harry was in now was actually part of an older castle that Hogwarts had been built around. None of the windows would tell him anything more than that and finally he grew tired of their bickering. So, deciding he wanted to know more about his surroundings, Harry began walking further along the deserted old hallways.

After about five minutes, Harry found himself at a dead end. Actually, that was not exactly true. There were three large wooden doors, one in each wall. Harry tried each of the doors, but only the one on the right side of the hallway seemed to be unlocked. Pushing against it, Harry felt how easily it moved and he wondered if the hallway was not as forgotten as he had originally thought. The fact that the hinges did not squeak only added to the mystery since he could smell fresh oil on them. Whatever the reason, Harry was curious now and he fully intended to see what was behind them.

Stepping inside the room as soon as the doors were open enough for him to squeeze through, Harry found himself in a strangely familiar room. In the darkness that filled the room, it was hard to see much of anything, but what little light there was did allow for some guesses. What he could see was half revealed by beams of moonlight through the high windows along the top of the walls. The bluish silver light seemed to make the shadows that much darker, making Harry wonder what was hiding in them. Thanks to the moonlight, what he could see gave him the impression that the room was about half the size of the Great Hall and filled with row after row of long wooden benches. At the far side of the room was a raised section of the floor. An aisle ran from the main doors to the raised section, rather like in a Muggle church. Harry wondered if that's what this had been at some point. His question was answered when he looked up at the far wall and noticed a very old looking stone cross carved into it.

"A chapel in Hogwarts?" Harry asked himself as he walked towards the front of the room.

"That's exactly right, young man," answered a voice from the shadows, causing Harry to spin around with his wand drawn. "No need for a wand here."

The voice sounded familiar to Harry. Unfortunately the acoustics of the room seemed to fill the air with strange echoes and whispers until it was impossible to recognize to whom the voice belonged. Oddly though, Harry could still understand the voice perfectly. That alone put Harry on edge because the voice could belong to anyone and that meant it could be the person that had been trying to kill him. Just the thought of that made Harry's hands sweaty and his heart race as it prepared for battle.

"Who are you?" demanded Harry as he scanned the shadows, his wand still drawn. "Step out where I can see you!"

There was a chuckle for a moment. Then the voice spoke softly, saying, "Since I have never seen you here before, it falls to me to pass on the rules of this place. This is a place of safety for all who enter its doors. It was built as part of the original castle that once stood here, long before Hogwarts was even a dream. As you can probably tell from the decorations, this chapel was consecrated to the Christian God. The King at the time, like most of the Kings in Europe, did not want to look as if he was a Pagan, so had this chapel built to appease the Church in Rome. It was at his command that this should be a safe place for all, a sanctuary if you will. So, even all these years later, any may enter here with no fear of being attacked."

"Great," grunted Harry, still not sure if he should trust the mysterious person. "I get it. This is a safe place. Still doesn't mean I want someone lurking in the shadows behind me."

The shadowy figure chuckled softly before speaking again. "You need not worry, young man. I am not your enemy, no matter what you might think. The commands of the King prevent those with dark intentions from entering. Even those with dark enchantments upon them may find some measure of relief here, ensuring that all may be safe. Have a seat and we shall talk."

Something about what the figure said bothered him, so Harry kept his wand drawn as he sat on one of the benches on the far side of the room. "So, you aren't going to tell me who you are?"

"No, though you are welcome to guess," replied the voice. "In this place I am just a man, with no greater or less authority than anyone else. I come here when I need to find some peace, and recently I feel the need for peace very strongly. Actually, in all the years I have been coming here, you are the only person I have ever known to find this place, other than myself."

"No one else ever comes here?" asked Harry, finding that rather odd. "That's a bit sad actually."

"More to the point, no one ever looks for a place like this," answered the voice. "I have a theory that this chapel, in fact this entire section of the castle is only able to be found by those that truly have a need to find it. I only found it by accident some years ago when several of the windows were damaged. If not for that, I doubt I ever would have discovered this place."

"Yeah, I talked with the windows before coming in here," Harry said, growing a little more comfortable with the unknown speaker. "One of them told me about a Bludger doing some damage. Do you by any chance know who the woman is in the window that doesn't move anymore?"

"Sadly, I don't," responded the voice. "I spent years trying to restore her, but it was beyond my skills. I have a theory that it was Merlin himself that enchanted those windows, and I am by no means on par with him. As for who she was, there are no mentions of her in any of the school histories. I fear her identity is lost to us, at least until someone with greater skill than mine finds a way to repair her."

Harry had a growing suspicion as to whom the shadowy figure was, but he decided not to confront them about it, yet. "So, you come down here for the peace and quiet?"

"Exactly right," replied the voice. "I come here to think, and to remember. As I grow older, I find that I need this place more and more. I have made many hard choices in my life, and sometimes they haunt me. Being so young, you may not understand what I mean."

"I think I understand better than you think," said Harry sadly. "Last year some of my friends got hurt because of me, and two people died. At the time it seemed like I was making the right choices, but afterwards I wasn't so sure."

"Maybe you do understand, after all," the voice said with a sigh. "I have always prided myself on the fact that my own choices have been for the greater good, but recently I find myself wondering if that is still true. It troubles me greatly that I have recently done things that even I do not fully understand."

This confused Harry, so he asked, "I'm not sure I understand what you mean, sir."

"Sadly, I am just as unsure as you, young man, and that worries me a great deal," replied the voice, suddenly sounding weak and unsure. "I was entrusted with something many years ago and I always thought I had the upper hand when dealing with it. Then, just over a year ago, a student arrived at the school. With his arrival I suddenly felt myself losing control of my emotions and lashing out at him for no reason. He did nothing wrong, merely defended himself against unwarranted attacks, and I acted as if he was attacking me personally. I am not proud of my actions."

"Do you think this thing you were entrusted with is starting to control you, sir?" asked Harry, leaning forward on his bench, ready to run if need be. "If so, then why don't you destroy it?"

Harry could hear a weak chuckle coming from the shadowy figure before it spoke again. "I have tried, young man. There has not been a night this year when I have not tried to seal it away or destroy it. Yet when I wake up the next morning, I find myself holding it in my hand as if it were my dearest possession. Twice I have thrown it in the lake, and twice I have woken with wet robes and the thing clenched in my fist."

"Have you told anyone else about this, sir?"

"I have tried," responded the voice sadly. "Each time I try to tell someone, I find that I am unable to speak of it, or else what I say is not what I intended. I fear that I am only truly free while I am here, and sadly I cannot stay here forever."

"I could help you if you want, sir," said Harry firmly. "I could go get it and hide it while you are here."

"If only you could," sighed the voice, sounding old and defeated now. "Try as I might, I cannot even remember where I put the damnable thing, or even what it is. I know that the moment I leave this room I will remember and retrieve it immediately, but right at this moment, I have no idea where it might be."

"Then I could go with you when you go to retrieve it," began Harry, but he was immediately cut off.

"No!" barked the voice. "I'm sorry, but I fear what I might do to you if you, or anyone else for that matter, were there when I retrieve it. If you truly want to help me, then ask your benefactor to do what he can to take the cursed thing from me. After all, it was he that gave it to me all those years ago."

"I'll do what I can, sir," said Harry with a firm resolve. "I can't say how soon I'll be able to get in touch with him, but I will do my best."

"Thank you," the voice replied gratefully. "'Til then I think it best if you try to keep your distance from me, at least once we are outside this room. I fear that whatever dark control that thing has over me is growing stronger with time."

"Can you fight it, sir?"

The figure stood now and a beam of moonlight from one of the chapel's windows revealed the tired and worn face of Albus Dumbledore. "I have been fighting it for a long time now, Harry, but I think I can fight a little bit longer."

"I'll do my best, sir," swore Harry, standing up to follow the headmaster from the room.

Dumbledore raised his hand, motioning for Harry to stay where he was. "Wait until I am gone, Harry. As I said, I do not know what I would do if I saw you outside this room. That is enough to frighten even me. Harry?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Keep Miss Weasley safe," said the headmaster as he turned towards the door. "I cannot say why. Maybe it's another memory that has been taken from me, but I feel that she is in danger. Keep her safe at all costs, Harry."

"I will, sir."

"Good," said the Headmaster, glancing over his shoulder to smile at Harry one last time. "I hope we can talk like this again sometime. Good night, Harry."

"Good night, sir."

Harry watched as the headmaster opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. No sooner was he out the door than Harry sat back down on the bench and began to cry. Tonight he had met the real Albus Dumbledore, the man that so many people admired and respected. This Dumbledore was kind and rather fun to talk with as opposed to the one that always seemed to be ready to strike out at Harry for no good reason. Even when Dumbledore had been teaching him about Transfiguration, Harry had wondered when the old man was going to lash out at him, but not this version of the man. This was the real Albus Dumbledore and Harry vowed he would do whatever it took to help him get free of whatever it was that was controlling him. The first step to doing that was getting some help.

Standing, Harry hurriedly made his way back to Gryffindor tower. He ran as fast as he could, which was actually quite fast, and soon found himself outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. Shouting the password, Harry ducked inside and was heading up the stairs as quickly as his legs would carry him. A quick peripheral glance at the common room showed that it was completely empty, which made Harry wonder how late it was. He decided that was unimportant as he burst into his dorm room and dashed over to his trunk. Grabbing his book bag, Harry spun around and dashed back out of the room. He had been in and out of the room so quickly that even with the heavy sound of the door being thrown open, his dorm mates never even woke up.

Soon Harry was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace with its dying fire. He opened his book bag and pulled out a spare piece of parchment and a self inking quill before setting to write to his uncle. He did not stop writing until he had filled the two foot roll of parchment with all the details of his meeting with Dumbledore. As he reached the very end, Harry paused and thought seriously about what he wanted to say. Finally Harry had made up his mind and he began to write again.

_**I know that you and Dumbledore have never really seen eye to eye, but now I wonder how much of that is caused by that blasted crystal. Yes, I am positive it's the crystal that's affecting the headmaster like this and I think we have to do everything in our power to find out how to help him. I don't know why, but I feel like this is more important than just helping the headmaster. I feel like this is part of the darkness that Mr. Knight was telling us about.**_

_**Maybe I'm wrong. I actually hope that I am, but I just feel that if we don't help him, things are going to go very badly for everyone. We've got to do something, Sirius. The problem is, I don't think Dumbledore is going to be able to help us do it. The way he was talking I think he would actually defend that crystal from us if we tried to take it from him by force. Not to mention his warning about watching over Ginny. This is bad and I'm really starting to worry that we're not doing enough to stop whatever is coming.**_

_**Try and contact Mr. Knight if you can. I'll see about reaching him through Professor Lockhart and Professor Flamel. I'm not sure if it will work, but it's worth a try. Maybe he knows something that will help us, or at the very least he could take the crystal away from Dumbledore.**_

_**Hurry.**_

_**Harry**_


	13. Chapter 12: Deadly Friends

_Let's get this out of the way:_

_1. Thank you to my lovely and talented Betas, C & J. Without them I would not be the author I am today. _

_2. Yes, I've been gone a LONG time and no I haven't abandoned my story._

_3. While I was gone I started two new stories, but they will not be posted until they are complete. One is a retelling of Deathly Hallows, with a romantic twist. The other is a crossover piece that combines my love of Harry Potter and another famous work. No, I'm not telling you any more about either._

_4. Slytherin's Secret is now complete and I will be posting the last three chapters and a possible epilogue over the next week or so._

_5. This story will be the first of mine to reach the 100K plus word mark and I'm quite happy about that. I know some people won't read a story unless it breaks that mark and I feel sorry for them because they end up missing a lot of really good stories. As a publishing agent recently told me, "I don't care if your book is longer than Moby Dick if it puts me to sleep in the first chapter. Write till you feel good about what you've created and the readers will love it no matter what length it is."_

_6. Why are you still reading my Author's Notes? Shouldn't you be reading something? And don't forget to leave a review, even if it's a negative one._

_I missed you all, but I'm back now. _

_Chris :)_

* * *

**I do not own these characters and I do not seek to profit from this story. **

* * *

**Chapter 12: Deadly Friends**

"_I beg you, please! Let me at least warn them of what is to come! You must let me do at least that."_

"_No," was the dry unemotional response. "Actually, we don't have to do any such thing."_

"_But they could be killed!"_

"_And whose fault would that be?" demanded a third voice. "You've pampered them to the point where they look to you to solve all their problems. That is not acceptable!"_

_Another voice, older sounding than the rest, suddenly spoke up saying, "The timeline is nearly lost to us because of you! I doubt any of them will survive at this rate and we will be forced to reset reality."_

"_Oh please, no," begged the first voice, sobbing now. "I beg you not to do this. Punish me if that is your decision, but please do not punish them for my failings."_

_The room suddenly filled with the sounds of many laughing voices causing the first speaker to shudder. It seemed as if the echoes alone would drive him mad, but he stood straight and proud waiting for their decision. In the back of his mind, he knew he had done all that he could to help. Sadly it had not been enough._

"_Did you really think you could escape from this without being held accountable for your actions and mistakes?" asked a younger sounding voice in genuine curiosity. "Did you honestly think you were ever leaving here again?"_

With just two weeks left before the end of term exams, Ginny could not help but feel ill at ease. It was almost as if someone was constantly standing behind her. The feeling put Ginny constantly on edge and only Harry seemed to be able to put her at ease. Even then, what with everything Harry was currently dealing with, Ginny felt as if something was very wrong. No, that was not quite right. It did not just feel wrong to her. It felt dangerous and evil and it was getting closer with every day.

It had started right after the aborted meeting of their little group several weeks previously and had gotten steadily worse. Even with the news that Sirius had been able to reverse the memory charms cast by the house-elf, Dobby, there had just been something else to darken their spirits. The revelation that some unknown Dark object was controlling Dumbledore had everyone seeking answers. Every avenue had been checked and rechecked, but no one had any ideas as to how to help the headmaster, or even the nature of what was controlling him. To complicate matters, shortly after Harry's conversation with the headmaster, Dumbledore had begun vanishing from the castle for days on end. When asked by Professor McGonagall as to where he was going, the headmaster had replied that he was "taking steps to prevent further attacks."

"Like anyone believes that," had been Harry's sad reply.

The attacks had diminished after Harry's meeting with the headmaster in the Chapel, but they had not stopped completely. Instead, the attacks seemed to be better planned and far more lethal. Several students had received serious injuries during the most recent attacks. There was even talk amongst the parents of the injured students that Dumbledore should step down as headmaster of Hogwarts. Of course, there was a growing number of parents that thought Harry needed to leave the school as well, since he was the target of these attacks. It was a foolish idea, but one that was gaining support every day. After the last attack, even Harry was starting to agree with them.

The last attack had been a brutal one. The mysterious attacker had set an ambush for Harry down near the shore of the black lake. Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione, and Ginny had all made their way down to the lake to enjoy the sunny spring weather. No sooner had Harry and his friends sat down by the shore than Neville had screamed in pain. Turning to him, they had all seen his back sliced open from his right shoulder down to his left hip. The wound was bleeding profusely and the worry was that Neville would bleed to death before they could reach Madame Pomfrey.

As he had done the previous year with Hermione, Harry had lifted Neville up in his arms and run the wounded boy from the lake to the hospital ward. Even with the gift of his father's sacrifice allowing Harry to run faster than anyone else, the trip had seemed to take too long. By the time Ginny, Ron, and Hermione caught up with Harry, Madame Pomfrey was already pouring Blood Replenishing potions down Neville's throat in an attempt to replace what he had lost. Harry stood nearby, his robes drenched in Neville's blood with his own face pale with worry for his friend. As Ginny watched, she could not help but be reminded of the events of the last year when Hermione had been injured. Harry's letters had sent chills down her spine then and seeing the reality of the situation now made her feel faint.

Almost like déjà-vu, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore arrived within minutes to inquire about Neville's condition. Thankfully, Madame Pomfrey had been able to heal the wound fairly easily, but now there was the worry about the loss of blood. Harry was unconcerned by Dumbledore's presence, being focused solely on his friend and thankfully the headmaster seemed just as concerned. Even when Madam Pomfrey ushered them out the headmaster remained calm and quiet, though it was obvious that Harry had been ready for the old man to blame him for what had happened.

The days following Neville's attack were nervous days indeed. The group of friends had stayed together as much as possible for their mutual protection. Even Fred and George had begun following them around, though what the two older boys really thought they could do was beyond Ginny. Percy tried to be there for them as well, even though he was already overwhelmed with reviewing for his NEWT exams. It was a genuinely nice thing for him to do, but Harry finally put his foot down and reminded Percy that he had his own problems to worry about now. It was a rather reluctant Percy that returned to his studies, but if anything, he now respected Harry more than ever before.

And through it all, Ginny felt the eyes upon her. She had once heard her father jokingly say, "Is it really paranoia if people really are out to get you?" Now she wondered if he had been right. Someone really was out to get Harry and she was beginning to think that whoever he or she was, they were after her as well. Even her dreams seemed to revolve around her growing concerns. Just the night before, she had dreamed that a strange shadowy figure was calling her name as she walked through the school. Several times, in the dream, she had turned to follow the voice, but then Harry's voice would call to her and she would turn away. By the time she woke up, the strange figure was screaming at her to come to him, but Ginny just ran away, trying to find Harry.

Now she was sitting in the common room, trying to figure out what was going on. Nothing made sense to her now. For Ginny, it felt as if something was right on the tip of her tongue, but she could not figure out what it was. Every time she tried to talk to someone about it, she suddenly felt a compulsion to do anything, but talk about her concerns. She had even tried writing to her mother about it, but the strange compulsion even stopped her from doing that. That was the final piece in the puzzle for Ginny and she finally realized that someone had bewitched her in some way that prevented her from talking about her problems.

"_Well, compulsion or not, I'm going to tell someone,"_ she thought as she stared at the blank parchment in front of her.

Her revelation had begun when she had heard some of the older students talking about spells like this in the library a few days before. They had been talking to Professor Lockhart about how to go about overcoming mental manipulation and control as part of their NEWT studies. Having just figured out what was wrong with her, Ginny paid very close attention to their discussion.

"Even the Imperius Curse, which many consider the most powerful of the mind control spells, has its weaknesses," Professor Lockhart had said. "If you know what you are looking for, the symptoms of the Imperius are so glaringly obvious that even a first year student could recognize them. What most people never realize is that some of the weaker spells are actually more dangerous in the long term. Those spells can go unnoticed for years, affecting only one aspect of the person's life."

"How so, Professor?" a seventh year Ravenclaw girl had asked.

Professor Lockhart had seemed to glance around the room, briefly looking at Ginny before he answered, "Imagine you have a secret about someone that they don't wish for you to share. If they were to use the Imperius Curse on you, say to forbid you to speak about it, you would not be able to mention it to anyone. The problem is the Imperius Curse wears off over time and must be continually reapplied in order to be effective. So, now the person who cast the Imperius is forced to stay close to their victim in order to make sure that their spell never breaks. Not to mention that over time people can learn to throw off the Imperius while others seems to be immune to it altogether."

"So then why not just use a memory charm and erase the secret altogether?" asked an older Ravenclaw boy.

Professor Lockhart seemed to think about that for a moment before saying, "Memory charms can be a very tricky thing to perform and get right. For example, using the _Obliviate _charm, you could erase the memory, or more to the point, you could cover it up with a false memory. Of course a memory charm can usually be reversed if discovered, once again allowing the person to tell the secret they hold. However, there is a third option."

Professor Lockhart smiled at the crowd around him and continued saying, "A compulsion could be put on a person to never speak of that one secret. By concealing one key memory, the compulsion then spreads out to hide the memory of anything related to that one key memory. Effectively it prevents you from even wanting to think about the hidden memory because nothing leads back to it. It is like hiding a single room by making the entire house invisible. However, it does have a weakness. There is always a weak point when it comes to compulsions. The compulsion needs to be able to compare what the victim is thinking about to the secret it is hiding, so there is a weak point inside the wall. If you can find that weak point, you can get inside and do something about it."

"I don't understand, Professor," one of the older girls complained. "What would this weak point be?"

"The weakness is usually an idea that is so distasteful to the victim that they would never think of considering it," Lockhart had answered. "However, if the person affected by the compulsion realizes what is going on, they can eventually find a way around it given enough time. And that's the point of this conversation, to make you understand that while all of these methods are very good for hiding a secret, each of them has its advantages and its disadvantages."

That accidentally overheard discussion was all Ginny's mind needed to put the pieces together. That was why she was staring at a blank piece of parchment with a quill in her hand. Ever since overhearing the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor speak to his students, Ginny had been trying to think of someone she could write to. She had already tried almost everyone she knew, and so far every one of their names had caused her to panic. Now she was trying names she never thought she would write to in a million years. Sadly, the reason she would not write to them was because they would be of no use to her at all.

"_I need someone that can help me,"_ she thought as she stared at the empty parchment. _"I need someone that isn't family, or friend, or here at school. I need someone that no one would ever expect me to go to. I need…"_

Suddenly a name came to Ginny that surprised even her. Not that very long ago Ginny would have laughed if anyone suggested writing to her, but that was then. Now it seemed like a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark room. The best part was not only would no one ever consider the possibility of Ginny writing to this person, but once they read the letter, they would be sure to contact Harry and anyone else that could help her. It was a perfect plan that was sure to work. Setting the quill to the paper, Ginny felt utter joy as she began to write.

_**Dear Tonks,**_

_**I know this has to seem really strange, but I really need your help…**_

It was nearly curfew time when Ginny finished writing and dashed from her room looking for Harry. She needed to send her letter as soon as possible and Harry's owl Hedwig with the fastest owl she knew. Finding him in the common room, Ginny asked if she could borrow the snowy owl and his cloak. Harry seemed to understand her urgency and quickly retrieved the cloak. Ginny took the cloak, kissed Harry's cheek, and was out the portrait hole before he even got a chance to say anything. Moments later she was under the cloak and making her way through the school to the Owlery, hoping Hedwig was not out hunting. It was a small blessing when she reached the Owlery and found Hedwig waiting for her. Pulling off Harry's cloak and tucking it in her robes, Ginny stepped over to the snowy white owl.

"This is very important, Hedwig," Ginny said as she tied the letter to the owl's outstretched leg. "You have to make sure this gets to Tonks as quickly as possible. Please, hurry?"

Hedwig hooted dismissively, as if to say that the request was silly because she would do it no other way. As Ginny watched the snowy owl disappear into the night sky, she prayed that Tonks would be able to help her. All of Ginny's hopes rested on that letter, and more importantly, what Tonks would do with it. Now all she could do was wait and hope that help would be there soon. That thought still in her mind, Ginny pulled out Harry's cloak once more and slipped under it before turning and making her way back through the school.

It was well past curfew now and Ginny tried to remain as quiet as possible while she walked. Even being under Harry's invisibility cloak, Ginny felt nervous walking alone through the dark passageways. She regretted not asking Harry to accompany her to the Owlery, but the thought that he might have asked her what was in the letter filled her with a cold dread. The compulsion was so strong that she could barely stand the idea of someone asking her about anything related to her secret. It was maddening to think that someone had done that to her.

Reaching the seventh floor, Ginny headed for the portrait hole when she suddenly felt her body go rigid. Having grown up with Fred and George, Ginny recognized the affects of the Full Body-Bind curse. She tried to look around for whoever had cursed her, but other than a particularly black shadow, the hallway was empty. A shadow from which, much to Ginny's surprise, a small black robed figure stepped slowly out.

"Why haven't you come to me, Ginevra?" asked a strangely high-pitched voice that reminded her of nails on a Muggle chalk board. "I have called for you over and over again and still you do not come."

"W-who are you?" Ginny managed to stammer, overcoming the effects of the spell.

"Oh, so is that it?" scoffed the voice as the figure stepped closer, reaching out and pulling the hood of the Invisibility Cloak from her head. "Did I do my job too well, Ginevra? Did you forget about me completely? Is your mind so weak that a little compulsion could have this result?"

Ginny struggled against the Body Bind spell, but she could not force her mouth to open again as the cloaked figure continued to speak. "To think that I actually thought you could handle the mysteries that only I know and that I was prepared to share with you."

The figure stepped closer to Ginny and she could almost see the face hidden beneath the hood of the cloak. She realized that the figure was only slightly taller than she was. More than that, the figure was extremely slender with narrow shoulders. It was either a girl or a young boy, but that did not explain the utter sense of evil that seemed to ooze off the hooded figure. To Ginny, it felt almost as if wave after wave of a sickeningly cold and clammy wind was blowing off the figure that was slowly approaching her. When the figure was close enough to touch, if she had been able to move, Ginny recognized the cold gray eyes that stared out at her from beneath the hood.

"M-m-malfoy," she managed to stammer, looking into the pale boy's strangely glassy eyes.

"Oh, give her a prize for figuring it out," replied Draco Malfoy in the same cold shrill voice as he pantomimed clapping his hands. "Aren't you the clever little poppet, Ginevra? Oh, there are still a few things you are overlooking, but I'm rather proud of you for even guessing this much. You see, Master Malfoy is not here right now. In fact, at this very moment, dear little Draco is dreaming about being best friends with his hero, Harry Potter, and how together they could convince Lucius to change his evil ways. The silly boy just wants his dear old daddy to love him and be proud of him. He doesn't quite grasp the fact that Lucius is a cold hearted and sadistic bastard that only fathered a son because I convinced him to. Do you think Draco would appreciate it if I should let him see my memories of how his father used to enjoy raping first year students and Obliviating them afterwards? Oh, those were fun days here at good old Hogwarts."

Ginny shuddered at the thought that somewhere right now the poor boy was trapped in his own mind, a slave to whatever spell this was that had taken control of him. She tried yet again to break free of the Full Body-Bind curse, but it was no use. Try as she might, she could only barely manage to move her lips and even that seemed to take every ounce of strength she had. Praying that someone would find her, help her, Ginny tried not to notice when Draco's cold and clammy hands reached out and touched her face.

"Dear little Draco was fool enough to write in the pages of my diary because someone asked him to," hissed the voice from Draco's lips. "That was all I needed to gain control over him. His dear old daddy has crushed any sort of original thought or resistance that the boy may have at one time had. That made it so much easier for me to get my hands around his soul. Then all I had to do was wait until he was asleep so I could take control completely. And the best part is tomorrow he'll be blamed for whatever I do to you. I never really did like his father and his son doesn't even have his father's innate cruelty. Maybe it would be best if I ended the Malfoy line? What do you think, Ginevra?"

Draco's body began walking around Ginny, his hands occasionally reaching out to touch her hair or shoulders, pulling Harry's cloak off and tossing it aside. "No suggestions? Then I guess I need to decide what to do with you, Ginevra. I suppose I could kill you and blame it on young Master Malfoy, but what fun would that be? Maybe I could make a bit of time for a good old fashioned rape and torture session? Or, and this is just a wild idea, I could take you back to the Chamber right now and drain the last drops of your life-force. I know, I promised I would let you kill Harry Potter for me, but you forgot all about me. I'm hurt, really I am."

Ginny felt sick every time Draco's hand touched her, but she needed to keep him talking in the hopes that someone would find them. "W-w-why?"

Draco paused, his fingers absently playing with a lock of Ginny's hair as he spoke, "Why what, Ginevra? Why do I like black satin robes? Why do I dislike puppies? Why do I think Quidditch is a foolish sport? Why am I going to torture and kill you, followed shortly afterwards by Draco's own death? You really must be more specific, my dear."

Seemingly without a care in the world, Draco pulled his wand and conjured a comfortable looking chair to sit in. "Honestly, I'm going to kill you because you failed me. You were supposed to be my puppet and my tool, but something got in the way. If I had to guess at the reason, I would say it was love, or what people claim is love, probably for your little knight in shining armor, Harry Potter. Foolishness, really, as all it really means is that you are weak and he is strong. You have given him power over your life and that has gotten in the way of my control over you, which is not really saying anything for him since you are so pathetic. I guess I should not have expected anything more from you, being a woman and all. Women are always weak. Look at my mother for example. Foolish witch that she was, letting a man control her like that."

Suddenly, like a door bursting open in her mind, Ginny remembered everything. She remembered the diary, Tom Riddle, the Chamber, and Tom's desire to kill Harry Potter. Draco's cold glassy eyes were watching her closely when it happened and he smiled cruelly at her from his chair. She knew who she was dealing with now and she was more afraid than she had ever been before. Draco might talk about killing someone, but Tom would really do it. Ginny remembered Tom's rantings and ravings now, not the ones from the diary but the ones in her mind when they were in the Chamber.

"_He's insane,"_ she thought to herself as Draco stared at her. _"He's insane and he's got to be stopped. Please, Harry, find me!"_

"You remember now, don't you, Ginevra?" asked Draco with a smile. "No use lying to me. I always know the truth and the truth is that you remember now. And yet, I still can't get into your mind. Did that old fool Dumbledore figure it out and shield you from me? I know it wasn't the golden boy. He's no match for me and never will be."

Standing up, Draco vanished the chair he had been sitting in and pulled his wand out once more. "I don't really care either way, but it is one more reason for me to kill you, Ginevra. I can't have you running to my enemies and telling them what you know. Oh, I'm sure the compulsion I put on you would keep you quiet for a little while longer, but eventually you would figure out a way around it. That just would not do, now would it? I'm sure you can understand why I have to do this. _Avada_…"

"_PETRIFICUS TOTALUS_!"

The bolt of light struck Draco directly between the eyes, dropping him instantly. Ginny watched as a shadow moved across Draco's body from behind her, before she heard a familiar voice whisper, "Finite." Suddenly released from the spell, Ginny's legs gave out from under her and she fell backwards into the waiting arms of the one person she had most wanted to see.

"Harry!"

"Yeah, it's me," he answered, helping her to sit down. "When you didn't come back by curfew, I decided it was time to come find you. Looks like I should have come sooner."

"Potter!" shouted a voice causing Ginny to look around at the figure of Gilderoy Lockhart marching towards them. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Malfoy attacked me, sir!" exclaimed Ginny before the Defense teacher could accuse Harry of anything. "Harry found us and saved me."

Lockhart stepped over to look at the Petrified form of the Slytherin boy. It was obvious from the look on the professor's face that he did not like what he saw. Ginny glanced over and saw that Draco's face had turned a disturbing grayish color and his breathing sounded very shallow. Lockhart lifted the boy's eyelids, looking closely for a moment, then hissing as he let Draco's eyelid close again. Pointing his wand at Draco's chest, the professor mumbled a spell, which caused a red bolt of light to hit the boy.

"You did the right thing, Potter," said Lockhart with a hearty sigh, rubbing a hand across his tired looking face. "Young Mr. Malfoy seems to be under the influence of a rather exotic form of possession."

"I sort of figured that from what I heard when I arrived," Harry said, still kneeling next to Ginny with her hand in his. "He didn't sound like Malfoy normally does. His voice was colder. Less human really. Did he say anything strange to you, Ginny?"

Ginny was at the center of attention now and wanting to do anything it took to get away. While she wanted to tell the two of them everything she now remembered, the compulsion that Tom had put on her was still too strong for her to fight against. The strain of the battle within her mind made it impossible to say anything at all, no matter how hard she tried. Harry looked confused as she began to shake, but Lockhart seemed to understand right away.

"Don't answer that, Miss Weasley," commanded Lockhart. "Harry, come with me a moment."

Looking even more confused, Harry squeezed Ginny's hand for a moment before he stood and followed Lockhart a few steps away. Ginny could not hear what they were saying; a strange buzzing seemed to be filling her ears, distracting her. Whatever was being said was definitely not to Harry's liking, given the expression of anger on his face. The longer Lockhart talked, the angrier Harry seemed to get until he turned away from the professor and walked back over toward Ginny. He said nothing as he kneeled down and scooped Ginny up in his arms as if she weighed nothing. A moment later he was running with her in his arms toward the Hospital Wing.

"Why are you taking me to the Hospital Wing?" asked Ginny, not really wanting to be subjected to Madame Pomfrey's tender mercies at the moment.

Harry did not even glance down at her as he continued to run with her. Ginny glanced around and was stunned at the blurred scenery around her. Obviously, they were moving very fast, but what the reason for Harry's haste could be was beyond her. What was really shocking was that Harry seemed to be crying as he carried her through the school.

"What's wrong, Harry? Tell me, please?"

Harry merely shook his head as they arrived at the doors to the Hospital Wing. Not even slowing, Harry kicked open the doors and skidded to a stop, still holding Ginny tightly in his arms. The resounding sound of the doors crashing open brought the matron from her office, her face pale and her wand drawn. Seeing Harry with Ginny in his arms, it was clear the woman feared the worst.

"What's wrong with her, Mr. Potter?"

Harry sat Ginny down on her feet, then blurred to Madame Pomfrey's side and whispered in her ear. The already pale woman looked ready to faint a moment later as she walked over to Ginny. With no explanation whatsoever, Ginny was hustled into a private examination room and was soon being checked over. Madame Pomfrey refused to answer any of Ginny's questions and in fact refused to speak at all until she was finished with the examination.

"You may get dressed, Miss Weasley," said the concerned looking woman. "I need you to stay in here until I come for you. Is that understood?"

Ginny nodded her head, feeling confused at the seriousness of the command. She watched as the matron stepped outside, closing the door behind her and leaving the confused girl alone in the examination room. Walking over to the door, she tried to listen to what might be going on, but the slight tingle against her skin told her that someone had placed a charm of some sort on it.

"_What is going on?"_ she silently asked herself, turning from the door and beginning to pace.

Rapidly changing thoughts filled Ginny's mind with chaos and confusion as the events of the day seemed to crash down upon her. The Compulsion was bad enough, but now she had to deal with the memories of Tom and the diary. Just the thought of it sent chills down her spine and brought tears to her eyes. Ginny wanted Harry to tell her it was going to be all right, but everyone seemed to be ignoring her now. Now, when she needed someone to talk to so badly, they all seemed to have turned away from her and that hurt worse than anything Tom might ever do to her. Feeling her frustrations build, Ginny leaned her forehead against the cold stone of the wall and began softly kicking at the floor. It was only when she heard the door open behind her that Ginny stopped and turned around, only to be stunned by the three people standing in the doorway.

"Mum? Sirius? Tonks?"

"Ginny, dear," Mrs. Weasley said with a sad smile as she walked over and hugged Ginny.

A moment later Ginny found herself in a second set of arms, those of Sirius, but he was not hugging her. Confused, Ginny listed as her mother began to cry, but said nothing to make Sirius let her go. His strong arms had hers pinned behind her back, preventing her from so much as twitching without him allowing it. Panicking now, Ginny ignored the pain in her arms and began to struggle as her mother cried. Sirius and Tonks remained completely silent as Ginny thrashed and she could not understand why her mother was doing nothing to help her.

"Do it, Tonks!" growled a cold voice that Ginny barely recognized as that of Sirius.

Looking up at the young woman before her, Ginny saw the Auror that Tonks would become. This was a young woman that could put her own feelings second if they conflicted with doing her job. Flat black eyes looked back at Ginny from Tonks' face as the young woman slowly lifted her wand and pointed it directly at Ginny's face. The panic was too much for her now, but Ginny could not seem to get free of Sirius and the pain of trying prevented her from fainting. In slow motion, Ginny saw the wand glow and heard the spell that would take her beyond caring.

"_STUPEFY!_"


	14. Chapter 13: Dark Secrets and Chambers

_Howdy folks,_

_Let me share a few pet peeves with you real quick. _

_1. People that don't get the concept of AU stories. It's not canon, it's an alternate universe. As an author I am twisting and changing a beloved story to see what possibilities I can find in the new situation._

_2. I want to talk to authors who write novel length stories. You've spent hours, days, weeks, and months on your creations, which is something I can relate to and respect. Now what I can't understand is why someone would spend that much time on a project and not notice the atrocious grammar and spelling errors. If you spent two years working on your project, spend an extra week or so having someone read over your work and correcting your errors. (And after saying that, if I make the same mistake then I hope someone points it out to me.)_

_Having said all that, here is chapter 13 of my little story. I hope you enjoy it._

_Thanks as always to my lovely and talented betas._

_Please review._

_Chris_

* * *

**Chapter 13: Dark Secrets and Chambers**

"_DAMN YOU TO HELL!" screamed the young man as he turned away from his former mentor and friend. "I hope you rot in the pits of Hell for what you've done!"_

_The older man, tears flowing thickly down his face, collapsed onto the gravel covered lane. He watched his former student stalking away and he knew that all the young man's current problems were his fault. All his efforts to change things had been for nothing, only making things horribly worse to the point where now there would be war. So many that had lived originally were dead now, and so many more were still to die. What had once been restricted to their troubled island was now free to spread its vile influence to every corner of the world._

_And it was all his fault._

"_God forgive me…"_

"_You better hope he does," replied a harsh voice from somewhere nearby. "Only He might take pity on you for what you've done here, because we won't."_

Harry Potter was not happy. Not bloody happy at all.

"What the bloody hell is going on!" bellowed the raven haired young man as he faced down his uncle and cousin. "Professor Lockhart tells me that, for Ginny's own safety, I'm not allowed to talk to her and the next thing I know, you two are stunning her!"

The scene inside the hospital ward would have been humorous, several adults cowering before the fury of a twelve year old boy, but Harry Potter was far from an ordinary boy. In his rage, Harry's magic was clearly visible, like a mirage on a hot day. He had already thrown off his adopted uncle, Remus, throwing the man aside like a rag doll when the werewolf attempted to restrain him. In his anger and confusion, Harry was unaware that he had overpowered his uncle, not that he would have cared at the moment. Even two stunners aimed at him by Professors Lockhart and McGonagall had done little more than make him angrier. Now, with eyes filled with rage and pain, he was slowly walking towards Sirius and Tonks like an executioner heading to the gallows.

"Harry!" shouted Sirius, trying to use his authority as a father figure to get through to Harry. "You have to calm down and listen to me!"

Harry just sneered at his uncle and kept walking towards the man he had thought of as a father his entire life. "Oh, I'm going to listen, old man. But before I do, I'm going to kick your arse from one side of this castle to the other. You hurt Ginny!"

Sirius paled even more as Harry reached out to the metal framework of one of the ward's beds and crushed it with his bare hand. This was not the boy he loved as his son. That Harry Potter would never in a million years think to act like this. No, that Harry Potter would have listened first and then made his decision based on what he heard. This Harry Potter was more like his real father, James Potter, when Lily had been in danger. Swallowing hard, Sirius remembered the righteous rage that would come over James when his beloved Lily was in danger, or God forbid, injured. That man, Sirius' best mate and adopted brother, was a holy terror that scared Sirius. Right now, Sirius was very much aware of exactly how much Harry took after his father.

"_God help us all if I can't make him listen to me,"_ thought Sirius as he continued to back away from the closest thing to a son he had ever known.

Tonks was sobbing now. Maybe it was terror or maybe it was the thought that Harry would never forgive her for what she had done. Not that she could blame him considering how things looked, but the thought of losing her best friend, and for all intents and purposes her brother, was enough to crush her heart. Looking up into Harry's eyes, she felt as if she were looking into the very eyes of an avenging angel. Harry's every step, his every movement, sent waves of pure magic rippling through the air around him. He was close enough now that she could feel it on her skin like a sunburn on a hot summer day.

"Please, Harry, listen to us," she cried, dropping to her knees as the weight of his very presence made her legs give out. "Please! I'm just asking you to listen to us… to me, Harry?"

A sudden flash of fire in front of Harry revealed the shape of Dumbledore's familiar, Fawkes. Harry did not even bat an eye at the phoenix as it tried to calm him with its song. With a motion so fast it seemed to blur through the air, Harry grabbed the startled bird by its neck and stared hard into the now silent phoenix's eyes. Everyone feared what Harry would do, but he just shook his head and leaned forward. Almost too quietly for anyone to hear, Harry spoke gently but firmly to the bird.

"I'm sorry, but you need to sleep now," he commanded. To the amazement of those watching, that is exactly what the phoenix did.

Harry set the unconscious bird on the bed next to him, the phoenix tucking its head under a wing, before turning back to his uncle and cousin. His eyes still burned with righteous fury, but he did not move any closer to them. Sirius, still shocked at the amount of power Harry was showing, prayed that his godson would now listen to him. Slowly, haltingly, he began to speak.

"Ginny sent a letter to Tonks begging her for help," he began. "Luckily we were all in Hogsmeade having a drink at the Three Broomsticks, so the letter arrived almost immediately."

"So," Harry said, his voice cold, "you rushed up here and stunned her after she was attacked by Draco Malfoy. Gee, old man, that's a bloody great way to help someone."

"Harry Potter!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "You will not talk to your uncle that way! He was just trying to help Ginny. Do you honestly think I would have let him hurt my little girl?"

"You have got to be kidding me, right, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked with a mirthless laugh that took the fire right out of the Weasley matriarch. "You have no idea what my dear godfather is capable of. I don't even know all of it, only because no one talks about what he gets up to at the Ministry, but I assure you that he is no saint."

"Harry!" shouted Sirius, shocked that Harry would ever mention his work for the Ministry to anyone. "Don't you dare..."

In a movement so fast that no one could even see it, Harry was standing directly in front of Sirius with his wand digging into the skin between his uncle's eyes. A single trickle of blood slowly rolled down Sirius' face. No one dared move and Mrs. Weasley had stepped back to stand next to where Remus was slowly getting to his feet.

"_Oh, bollocks,"_ thought Sirius as he looked into his godson's eyes. _"I've gone and said the wrong thing, haven't I?"_

"You seem to be under the mistaken impression that you are in control right now," hissed Harry, pressing his wand even harder against his uncle's forehead. "You lost control of me the instant you stunned Ginny! NO ONE HURTS **MY ****GINNY!**"

Sirius Black was no fool. He knew better than to argue with anyone that had a wand pointed at his head like that. Even a simple stunner would be fatal at this distance. With the sheer amount of power that was pouring off Harry, Sirius knew that no spell coming out of that wand was going to be "simple" right now. The boy looked angry enough to kill and even if he was not, at this range, it would be a fait accompli.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered, slowly lowering himself down to his knees. "I just want you to listen to me for a minute and then if you still think I deserve it, I won't try to stop you."

"Make it good, Sirius," growled Harry. "You're only going to get one chance."

"Okay," agreed Sirius. "In her letter, Ginny told Tonks that she was under a Compulsion. You know what that is, right?"

"Yeah," growled Harry, jerking his head in the direction of where Lockhart was standing with McGonagall. "The blond ponce over there has been talking to everyone about them for days now. How could I not know about them?"

"Well, Harry," continued Sirius, "that's why we had to stun her. We didn't know what she would do when confronted with our knowing about it. The person that put her under the Compulsion may have given her instructions to harm herself, or others, once it was discovered. That's why we asked Molly to come with us. We wanted her to be here in case things went badly."

Harry seemed to think about that for a moment, some of his anger fading. Tonks still could not say if Harry would ever forgive them, but she hoped now that he would at least listen to them. Seeing him like this, so angry and yet so hurt, tore at her heart almost as much as it terrified her. He was so powerful and he was still just a little boy. She wondered what he would be in time and if, with the help of his friends, he would become a great wizard, maybe even the greatest wizard there ever had been. That was the future though. Right now he was not the Harry she loved. Down deep he was something far darker and Tonks knew she needed to bring him back from the edge.

"Harry?" she asked quietly. "This is my fault. I'm the one that stunned Ginny. I'm sorry. I didn't do it to hurt her or you, but it had to be done. We were going to come get you, to tell you, but things just happened so fast. I mean, think about it. We had barely an hour from the time she sent that letter off until the time we arrived. We just didn't have time to tell you everything, even if we had been able to find you right away."

Harry slowly pulled his wand from Sirius' forehead, though he did not drop it. Sirius immediately moved to the side, away from Tonks. Harry knew that Sirius was not abandoning her, but actually trying to protect her by drawing Harry's attention from her. Suddenly Harry realized that he had become the threat from which his friends and family must be protected. As the understanding washed over him, Harry felt his previous anger fade away and be replaced by loathing for his own actions. Suddenly his body felt extremely heavy and he could barely keep his eyes open. It barely registered with his mind when his wand slipped from his fingers and he slumped to his knees. The room was going dark, but he managed to speak.

"My fault, Nym," he said, his voice sounding thick and slurred. "I should have known better. Sorry I scared you. Think I overdid the magic just a…"

"HARRY!" shouted several voices, but Harry barely heard them as he sank into the black mists, which suddenly filled his vision.

When he finally woke up, the sun was shining brightly through the windows. He could not recognize where he was at first, but that was probably due to his blurry vision. Still, the sunlight felt good on his face and he really did not want to move. His whole body ached, though he could not remember why. All he remembered was being in the hallways of Hogwarts and finding…

"Oh, God," Harry groaned, sitting up in bed and feeling around for his glasses. "Anyone there? Where's Ginny? Is she alright?"

A large dark blur was suddenly standing in front of him, holding something out to him. "Here are your glasses, Harry. I should have known you would be asking about your friend before you worried about yourself."

"Mr. Knight?" asked Harry, taking his glasses and sliding them on his face.

"Right in one, kiddo," laughed the now recognizable face of his longtime friend. "I just got here a little while ago, but you can't imagine the stories I've already heard. Sounds like you've been a very busy young man and I missed all the fun. Sorry about that. Of course it also sounds like you scared the hell out of a lot of people last night, Harry."

Harry groaned again as he remembered his actions before asking, "Did I hurt anyone?"

"Just this headstrong kid, I know," Mr. Knight said, with a chuckle. "It seems he was feeling so overprotective of his girlfriend that he pushed his magic too far. Little prat gave himself a nasty case of magical exhaustion, not to mention several muscle strains. Other than that, no one was seriously harmed. Though I hear the Headmaster is seriously put out that he could not seem to open the ward doors last night. Seems someone shut them and they remained that way until after the stubborn young man passed out."

"She's not my girlfriend," objected Harry, his face turning red as he spoke. "Is that why I feel like a troll used me as a punching bag? I used too much magic?"

"Well that and the fact your Uncle Remus tried to use his full strength to restrain you," supplied the smiling man. "It's not every young wizard that can claim he came out on top in a wrestling match with a werewolf, even if he is in human form at the time."

"Where's Ginny?" asked Harry, looking around at a surprisingly empty hospital ward. "Is she okay?"

Mr. Knight's smile slid off his face as he sighed. "Ginny is fine, Harry. After Sirius removed the Compulsion from her mind, she had a long conversation with her mother and Sirius about this year."

Mr. Knight began telling Harry everything that Ginny had revealed to them. Harry was shocked that she had been used by Tom Riddle's diary so callously. As he listened to one nightmarish truth after the other, Harry could feel his body tingling as his magic began to return. When he heard that Tom had been using Ginny's feelings for Harry against her, he was furious. The thought that Tom had implanted false memories and visions just to teach her Parselmouth was disgusting, to say the least. Mr. Knight seemed to realize what was happening and rested a comforting hand on Harry's arm.

"Calm down, Harry," he calmly said. "Getting angry right now isn't going to help anything. Ginny is no longer in any danger. Now that we know what's been happening, we can prevent any further damage."

"But that bastard used her!"

"And he won't be able to do it again," assured Mr. Knight. "Her mother and father took her home shortly after…"

"After what?" demanded Harry, his instincts suddenly telling him that something had gone horribly wrong.

"I'll get to that in a moment, Harry, but I have to talk to you about something first," replied the older man, restraining Harry when he tried to get out of bed. "We need to discuss your little outburst first. You really did a number on yourself."

"That doesn't sound good," moaned Harry.

"It is, and it isn't," agreed Mr. Knight. "Remember what I told you about your father's gift and how you should not try to force it?"

Harry nodded his head and Mr. Knight continued. "Well, you forced it, Harry, and that's putting it mildly. You nearly drained every drop of magic you have. I warned you that overusing it could lead to problems and now it seems that your father's gift is gone."

"WHAT?"

"Calm down, Harry," soothed the older man. "I said it seems to be gone, but I might be wrong. I really doubt it is, but it is better to just think of it that way for now."

"I wasted it," groused Harry. "Of all the times I could have used his gift, I waste it on something like this."

Mr. Knight chuckled softly and shook his head, looking up at Harry and smiling. "You didn't waste anything, Harry. You were defending someone you love very much. How can that be a bad use of your father's gift? And don't you get that look on your face, young man. I just mean you have strong feelings for Ginny, not that you are "in love" with her. That may come in time, but for right now you have to understand that you were defending someone you care about. That's the best use of that ability that I can think of. So, while the bad news is that you may have lost your father's protection, the good news is I doubt he could be any prouder of you right now."

"Proud of me?" Harry asked, looking away until the blush on his face faded. "I doubt he'd be very proud of me right now after the way I acted last night. I should have given them a chance to explain before going off like that."

"True," agreed the smiling man. "That part was pretty stupid, but I of all people can't fault your reasons. You'll owe apologies to a lot of people and Fawkes, the phoenix."

Harry hung his head and debated going back to sleep. "Yep, I'm a dead man when Sirius and Remus get their hands on me. Not only did I insult my friends and family, now I'm insulting powerful magical creatures. Can I just go crawl in a hole now? Maybe under my bed until everyone forgets I'm here?"

"Funny you should mention crawling in a hole, Harry," Mr. Knight said with a sigh.

"Huh?"

Mr. Knight stood and began to pace back and forth as he spoke. "After Ginny told everyone her story, they all rushed to the second floor bathroom in question. Evidently they arrived just in time to see a cloaked figure entering the opening. Before they could do anything, the portal closed and they have been unable to open it again."

"Do they know who it was?" asked Harry, a sense of dread filling his chest with ice. "And why haven't they reopened the damned thing?"

"They can't reopen it, Harry," answered Mr. Knight. "It's a very powerful magical portal, probably created at the same time the school was. Even attempts to blast through the wall have met with no success. Even Dumbledore has tried to open it and failed."

"What about you?"

Mr. Knight shook his head, looking sadly at Harry. "It's not allowed, Harry. I can't take direct action anymore. I can't even tell you what I do know, no matter how you ask your questions, because it has been decided by my associates that I have made too many changes already. I'm only allowed to discuss things that you could have found out on your own, without my aid."

"So," growled Harry, swinging his legs out of bed and standing, "they have decided that just when I could use your help the most that you are to be prevented from helping? Lovely. Just bloody lovely. And what is their reasoning for this?"

"They are concerned that if I change anything else or tell you anything, that time will be damaged beyond repair," answered the suddenly older looking man. "I've been told… no, that's not right, I've been ordered to keep what I know to myself. While I am still allowed to be here for you, the rest of this is in your hands and your hands alone."

Harry felt his anger building again and with it his magic. Reaching over to the chair where his clothes were neatly folded, Harry slipped on his trousers under his hospital gown. Ripping the gown off , Harry slipped his light jumper over his head. In a few moments, he was fully dressed and had his wand tucked into his belt. That done, Harry turned back to the older man. Harry said nothing, but his expression was clear on his face as he stared at the former monarch.

"What about Dumbledore?" asked Harry. "Can he do anything to help or is he sitting on his thumbs right now?"

Mr. Knight shook his head and smiled sadly, saying, "He's with their parents right now. I'm happy to say that he seems to be doing his best to comfort them. He called for the Ministry to come and help, but Sirius informed him that the entrance to the Chamber might be beyond anything they can deal with."

"And if Sirius can't open it," continued Harry, "then it's a safe bet none of the other Unspeakables can either."

Harry saw the look in his friend's eyes and knew that he was right. His uncle was many things, but he was not one to give up easily. If Sirius could not open the chamber and neither could Dumbledore, then Harry did not have much hope that anyone else could either. And from the sounds of it, with Mr. Knight's "friends" being so controlling, it was going to be up to Harry to do something about it.

"Who is it?" Harry asked, his voice calm.

"I don't know for sure, Harry," explained Mr. Knight. "I can't see the timelines right now because of my associates, but I can tell you who is missing."

"WHO IS IT?"

"Colin Creevey and Gwen Price," answered Mr. Knight. "They are the only two that are missing. Everyone else is in the Great Hall."

"Damn," growled Harry, turning towards the hospital ward doors.

"Where are you going, Harry?" cried Madame Pomfrey as Harry passed her office. "You get back in bed this instant!"

"Sorry, Madame P," he replied as he walked right by her without stopping. "I'd love to stay and talk, but it seems I've got to go and save the day… again."

Harry gave her what he hoped was his most charming smile, much like the one Sirius tended to use right before he did something stupid. Once he was out the door, Harry quickly made his way to the second floor girls' bathroom. He was rather surprised to see the hallways deserted, but then again he had been told that the students were in a safe place. He envied them that because where he planned on going was most assuredly not going to be safe. As he walked, he planned, ignoring the sound of footsteps beside him since he knew it was Mr. Knight.

"I can't go with you, Harry," said the older man, sounding sad and tired.

"I'm not going to ask you to," replied Harry as he opened the door. "Just make sure my friends are alright, please?"

Mr. Knight nodded, knowing Harry would consider keeping his friends safe more important than his own safety. In fact, as well as he knew Harry, Mr. Knight was sure the boy would put even Malfoy's safety above his own if the situation called for it. That was what made Harry a great leader and a better person, the fact that he cared so much for everyone around him. What he was going to do now just proved it.

"I'll keep them safe, Harry," he assured the boy. "Just make sure you keep yourself safe. I'm not going to be the one to tell Ginny or your uncles that you got yourself killed."

Harry was examining the wall and the sinks, seeming to have found something on one of the taps. With a smile, he turned back to his mentor and friend. He had known Mr. Knight for a long time, most of his life really, but it was only at this moment that he really appreciated his help. He was a little upset about the diary falling into Ginny's hands, but that was something to deal with later.

"I'll do my best," Harry said, with a smile. "Just make sure everyone knows…"

"I'll tell them," said the older man when Harry seemed to lose the ability to continue. "You still got that ring I gave you?"

Mister Knight watched Harry raise his hand up, displaying the ring he wore. "Good. Don't lose that ring, Harry."

"I won't," Harry assured his friend, then turned back towards the sink. "Time to go."

"Be safe."

"Always," Harry replied, with a short laugh, before looking at the carving of a snake on the sink's tap. Concentrating on the image, Harry forced himself to speak the language of the snakes saying, "_Open_."

The two of them watched as the sink sank into the bathroom floor, revealing a man-sized pipe. Neither of them could see how far down the pipe went, but the smell of damp earth and cold air filled the room instantly. Harry also noticed the smell of rotting things and his mind fought not to think of the two people that might be down there now. As he stepped forward and rested a foot on the edge of the pipe, he looked back at his friend.

"Can you give me any advice at all?"

"Don't look it in the eyes," replied the older man. "If you forget everything else, remember that. Okay?"

"Got it," agreed Harry, turning back to the pipe. "I'll see you soon."

"You better," said Mr. Knight, concern evident in his voice.

"One last thing," Harry said, as he looked down into the depths of the pipe. "Tell your 'associates' that if any of my friends get hurt because they wouldn't let you help me, I will personally make them sorry they were ever born."

Before his friend could say anything, Harry leapt into the pipe. He thought he might have heard the older man say something, but the sound of the wind whipping past his head as he slid down the pipe drowned it out. It seemed to take forever to reach the bottom, but eventually Harry saw a dim light ahead of him. Seconds later, he shot out of the end of the pipe and rolled across a dirty floor covered with the bones of small animals.

"_Well, that explains the smell,"_ Harry thought as he stood up and examined his surroundings.

The room was dark and dank, looking like it had once been a large cave before someone smoothed out the floor and connected the pipe to it. The ceiling was covered in small stalactites, water slowly dripping from them to the floor. Harry figured it was only thanks to magic that the floor was not covered with jagged stalagmites.

"_That would have been a really bad landing if it had been,"_ he chuckled to himself in an attempt to cover his fear.

Pulling out his wand, Harry quickly cast a _Lumos_ spell so he could get a better idea of where he was. What little illumination that filled the room had not allowed him to see the far wall, but now he could see it. A large opening led from the room he was in further into the darkness. Swallowing his fear, Harry stepped forward and entered the tunnel.

It did not take him long to discover what Mr. Knight's warning meant. About thirty feet along the tunnel, Harry found the dried skin of an enormous snake. As soon as he saw it, he realized what he must be up against. There was only one snake that large that you never wanted to look in the eye--a basilisk.

"_Wonderful,"_ thought Harry as he made his way past the skin. _"How the hell am I supposed to fight a basilisk? Ask it to play nice and keep its eyes closed? Somehow I don't think that's going to work for me."_

Continuing to make his way further along the tunnel, Harry started to think of possible ways to defeat a basilisk. He remembered from a book he had read that they could not bear the sound of a rooster crowing. The problem was that he did not have a rooster lying around and his transfiguration skills were nowhere near good enough to create one. Even if he did have the skill needed, how was he supposed to get close enough to the beast to use it? The basilisk would surely kill him before he ever got close enough to use it.

"_Think, Harry,"_ he thought as he walked. _"There has got to be a way to do this and save whoever is down here."_

Keeping his eyes firmly on the ground, Harry inched his way forward. Each step was harder than the last as his fears started to get the better of him. He was not afraid to fight a giant snake, though that would be difficult enough. What really frightened him was the thought that he might not be good enough to save whoever was down here. He was so focused on his dark thoughts that he ran headfirst into the end of the tunnel. Rubbing his now sore head, Harry looked up to see a large door in front of him. An intricate carving in the shape of twin snakes covered the door, with fist sized emeralds for their eyes.

"_I guess this is it,"_ he thought, reaching out and touching the cold stone of the door. _"I just hope I'm ready for this."_

Focusing on the images of the snakes, Harry forced his mind to think in the language of snakes. At his command, the doors swung open and he slowly made his way through them, his eyes focused on the floor ahead of him. He had the impression that it was a large room from the echoes his footsteps made, but he dared not even glance up to confirm it. Instead he concentrated on the sounds around him, listening for anything that might warn him of an impending attack. Try as he might however, all he heard was his own footsteps and the occasional sound of water dripping onto the floor.

When he could take it no longer, Harry glanced up for just an instant to see what lay in front of him. He saw the feet of an immense statue just a short ways away and between the feet he saw two bodies. Not seeing anything dangerous between him and the statue, Harry ran over and kneeled down between the two still forms. Colin and Gwen lay motionless, barely breathing, and cold to the touch. Colin's cheeks still had a touch of color, but Gwen's skin was grey and clammy.

"Hold on, you two," whispered Harry as he thought of ways to get them back up to the school. "I'll figure something out. I promise."

"I'm afraid that may prove to be impossible, Harry Potter," said a man's voice from behind him. "You see, there are forces at work here that you cannot possibly hope to overcome."

Harry turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a tall handsome young man standing behind him. He was dark haired and pale skinned, the type of young man that girls seemed to swoon over. However Harry was not a silly schoolgirl and he instantly recognized the arrogant expression on the boy's face as being the same as the one worn by the Muggles that used to torment him. Yes, Harry knew that look, as it showed how self centered and egotistical the person wearing it could be. Harry hated that look.

"Tom Riddle, I presume?" asked Harry, standing up and looking closely at the boy.

Bowing, the young man smiled at Harry before speaking. "I see my fame precedes me, Harry."

"Actually, Tom, someone mentioned your name in regards to old school jokes," Harry said as calmly as possible. "Unfortunately, you were the butt of the joke."

"How dare you!" roared the young man and Harry noticed that his body seemed to fade for a moment. "I am the greatest wizard of all time!"

"Oh, you mean that whole 'Lord Moldyshorts' thing?" asked Harry, now trying to really piss the specter off. "Not very powerful if I could beat you when I was barely a year old, Tom. In fact, when I saw what was left of you last year, you were a cowering mess that had to hitch a ride on a fool in order to stay alive. Hell, Tom, I've seen Muggles with more magical power than you have."

Tom was furious now, his image seeming to fade and pulse every few seconds. "How dare you!"

Harry watched as Tom wrote his name in the air with a wand he had stolen from one of his victims, "I am Lord Voldemort! You will respect my name!"

With a swish and a flick of the stolen wand, Tom rearranged the letters of his name into the dreaded pseudonym, but Harry was not about to let the shade regain his composure.

"Sorry, Tom," disagreed Harry with a false note of sadness. "You never were able to use that name. Seems there was a crazy old wizard in the Colonies that went by that name. After you used it the first time or two, you found out that the old man was famous for buggering pigs. Imagine the look on your face the first time one of those farmers sent you a letter requesting reimbursement for damage to their livestock. After that, you just went by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who. I guess it was too hard for you to think up a new name. That's okay though. Most people just call you Lord Load-in-my-shorts, so I wouldn't worry about anyone forgetting who you were. Hell, with the exception of a few small children, everyone else thinks you're the biggest joke that's ever been seen in the history of Great Britain."

With each word that Harry spoke, he could see the rage and fury that burned in Tom's eyes. Still, there was an air of confidence in the specter's bearing that made Harry wonder what he had in mind. The whole point of his insults had been to shake that confidence, but evidently it was not working if Tom could still look so sure of his power. That confidence unnerved Harry almost as much as just being in the Chamber did. He tried not to let it show, but he was terrified right now. It was only the comforting warmth that seemed to be coming from Mr. Knight's ring that gave him the courage to continue.

"You lie, boy," Tom said with a sneer Draco Malfoy would have envied. "I can see it in your eyes that you are lying to me. I am the most powerful wizard the world has ever known!"

"Oh, really?" scoffed Harry, trying to sound braver than he really felt. "I've met first years with more power than you. Heck, I beat you when I was barely a year old, so honestly, how powerful do you really think you are?"

That was the final straw and Harry knew it. The shade of Tom Riddle began laughing hysterically as he turned to face the statue of Salazar Slytherin. At first Harry thought the insane specter was just going to rant and rave, but the cold laughter soon faded away.

"I have to admit that you are braver than most of my victims, Harry," said the young Voldemort, looking up at the face of the statue. "In fact, I doubt anyone I've ever killed has been as courageous as you, which is why I'm going to enjoy seeing you die so much. You wanted to see power. Well, let me show you just how powerful I really am."

Raising his hands as if he was performing a blessing, Tom spoke in Parselmouth to the statue. _"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."_

Suddenly the sound of grating stone filled the Chamber and Harry looked up to see the mouth of the statue was slowly opening. Remembering what Mr. Knight had told him, Harry looked down at the floor. Realizing that Colin and Gwen were right in the way of anything that might come out of the statue's mouth, Harry grabbed their robes and pulled with all his might. His father's blessing now gone, at least for a short while, Harry struggled to pull the two unconscious first years to safety. He only just managed it when he heard a loud thump and felt the very stone of the floor itself vibrate with the impact.

"_Bloody hell," _groaned Harry as he managed to pull Colin and Gwen behind one of the large pillars. _"Thing sounds like it's the size of a bus. Just had to be a basilisk, didn't it? Couldn't be Slytherin's pet bunny or his bulldog, could it? No, has to be his bloody pet basilisk!"_

"Kill them all," shouted Tom and Harry could hear the beast rushing towards him from behind.

"_Think, Harry!"_ he thought to himself as he ran for the next pillar. _"I can't look it in the eyes, but I have to be able to see it or I'm dead. There has to be a way!"_Harry heard the massive snake moving behind him and he knew it was faster than he was. His fear was forgotten as he concentrated on finding a solution to the problem. He jumped behind yet another pillar, hearing the snake as it rammed into the one he had just run from. As he ran for the next pillar, he tried to think of anything that might help. Just then a large fragment of the pillar behind him skidded across the ground. Harry glanced at it as it went past him, sliding into a large pile of dirt and debris that had accumulated around the edges of the Chamber. What really got his attention was the large cloud of thick dust that suddenly covered the area.

"_Somebody up there must still like me,"_ Harry thought as an idea came to him.

As he ran, Harry began casting spells into the piles of dirt in an attempt to kick up as much dust as possible. It was his hope that with enough dust and dirt in the air, the basilisk would not only be unable to see him, but would also be unable to smell him either. Maybe that distraction would buy him enough time to think of a way to defeat the monstrosity. That was, if he did not manage to run into it in the now thickening cloud of dust that filled the Chamber. If he could just get behind the beast, he might be able to topple one of the pillars on top of it, or at least he hoped he could.

"Ignore the dust, you stupid beast!" screamed Tom, not even bothering to use the snake's language.

The only response was a strange guttural sneeze as the basilisk tried to find its prey. That was all Harry needed to know the general location of the gigantic snake. He ran for the far side of the Chamber and then around the pillars that he could just barely see in the thick dust. Once he reached the foot of the statue, he turned and saw the tail of the snake twitching in front of him. He began firing on every pillar he could see, four in all. He could never remember the spells he actually cast, but he was happy to see that three of the pillars fell directly on top of the snake's massive body pinning it to the ground. With a shriek of pain, the basilisk began thrashing about, but the pillars were too heavy for it to get free.

"_Now, how do I kill the bloody thing?" _Harry wondered as he watched the beast slowly tiring from its struggle.

Almost as if in answer to his prayer, Harry noticed that his ring was almost vibrating in his hand. Holding his hand up, he could see that the ring now glowed a warm golden light that filled him with hope. Not knowing why he did it, Harry took his wand in his left hand and held his right hand up over his head. He suddenly felt the ring begin to stretch and twist on his finger. In moments he could the heavy weight of something in his hand and he lowered it to see what he now held.

The ring was now gone from his finger, but in its place was a sword. Harry guessed its length at nearly six feet, though it hardly seemed to weigh anything. Its double edged blade glowed with a golden light that looked almost as if fire danced across the blade. The hilt of the blade was long enough for both his hands to hold it easily while the guard formed a cross that sloped towards the fine tapered end of the blade. All in all Harry thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was also the weapon he needed to kill the basilisk. Tucking his wand into his belt, Harry took hold of the sword with both hands, a smile on his face.

"_I can do this!"_

Surging forward, some measure of his father's protection allowing him to move fast enough to actually jump over the fallen pillars, Harry ran up the back of the snake. His goal was to either chop off the beast's head or at least stab it in the heart. The problem was, Harry did not know where a snake's heart was located, so he was going to have to try for the head. That was the only thought in his mind as he neared the base of the creature's head. Unfortunately, his plan did not take into account the fact that running up a basilisk's back was a good way to let it know where one is. It was only just in time that he managed to clamp his eyes closed as the massive head with its deadly eyes spun around.

Falling to his knees, barely remaining on the snake's body, Harry held the sword aloft, hoping the beast would think twice before striking at him. However, the basilisk could not clearly see through the cloud of dust that still surrounded it and decided to strike anyway. Opening its massive jaws, it struck at the tiny figure on its back. In a moment of agony for both of them, both weapons, the snake's fangs and Harry's sword, struck their targets. Harry felt the fang as it sank into his shoulder while the sword pierced the roof of the snake's mouth and impaled its brain. The basilisk, dead in an instant, collapsed to the floor, dragging Harry with it.

"Did you get him?" asked Tom, still unable to see through the cloud of dust.

Climbing to his feet, Harry clutched the sword in his right hand. His left arm hung limply at his side, thanks to the basilisk fang that was sticking out of his shoulder. Harry could already feel the venom from the fang burning in his blood. He knew it was fatal, but before he died, he had one more thing to do.

"Yep," he growled, stepping out of the thickest of the now settling dust. "I killed it, Tom. Now it's your turn."


	15. Chapter 14: Redemption

_As always, thanks go out to my lovely and talented betas C & J._

_Without them I just sound so jejune._

_Real Notes are at the end._

_Now go read and review._

_Chris_

* * *

**Chapter 14: Redemption**

"Did you get him?" asked Tom, still unable to see through the cloud of dust.

Climbing to his feet, Harry clutched the sword in his right hand. His left arm hung limply at his side, thanks to the basilisk fang that was sticking out of his shoulder. Harry could already feel the venom from the fang burning in his blood. He knew it was fatal, but before he died, he had one more thing to do.

"Yep," he growled, stepping out of the thickest of the now settling dust. "I killed it, Tom. Now it's your turn."

"No…" was all Tom could say as he watched Harry's battered form, walking out of the cloud of dust. "It's not possible."

"You would be surprised at what's possible when you are fighting for something more than your own life," hissed Harry, walking steadily towards the shade. "But then, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Everything you've ever done has been about you."

"Of course it has, you foolish little boy!" screamed the phantom, sounding more like a child throwing a fit than a terrifying Dark Lord. "I don't need anyone else! I'm the most powerful wizard in history! Even the great Merlin would have run from my might."

"You're a dim witted plonker, that's what you are," scoffed Harry, now standing just six feet from the raging shade. "Merlin would have kicked your arse from here to Cardiff and when he was done with you, Arthur would have kicked it right back. You're nothing, but a schoolyard bully, thinking that fear equals respect. Problem is, just like a schoolyard bully, when someone stands up to you, you'll run away and hide."

The shade of the teenaged Lord Voldemort did not even bother to respond to Harry's taunts. Instead he drew two wands from his robes, obviously taken from Colin and Gwen, and began casting spells. Harry saw Tom drawing the wands just in time to dive behind the still twitching tail of the dead basilisk. It was only luck that allowed him to duck down in time to miss the sickly green Killing Curses that streaked over his head. Harry could only pray for a miracle because he had no idea how he was going to defeat someone that was not really there.

Time was running out for him and Harry knew it. The fang in his shoulder had already delivered enough poison to kill him several times over and it was only a matter of time before it did. The situation was only made worse by the fact that Tom was forcing Harry to run around and dodge, speeding up the spread of the poison. In fact, he could feel it burning its way through his muscles as he struggled to keep moving. It would not be long now.

"_This isn't exactly what I had planned,"_ thought Harry as he leapt over yet another bolt of curse-fire. _"I was going to grow up and be an Unspeakable, just like Sirius. Then together we were going to defeat Tom once and for all. Everybody was going to be so happy."_

As these thoughts ran through his head, Harry never stopped moving. _"I was going to be there when Remus finally admitted he loves Nym. Neville, Ron, Hermione, and me, we were all going to be friends forever. We were going to go with Grace to look for a new herd. Ginny… Ginny and I were going to date and maybe someday… Oh God, Ginny."_

Images of the youngest Weasley filled Harry's mind as he dove over a pair of sickly green Killing Curses. _"I was supposed to save Colin and Gwen. But if I die down here, then who would be able to get them out? It takes a Parselmouth to open the Chamber. I screwed up and now they are going to pay for it. Why did I come down here alone?"_

How long Harry ran and dodged, he could not have said. Slowly he weakened and soon he was covered in various burns and cuts from Tom's continuing stream of curses. Thankfully Harry had managed to avoid the more sinister curses, including the Killing Curse, but he knew it was only a matter of time until his luck ran out. Dodging another pair of Killing Curses, Harry stumbled and fell to the ground face first. He felt his nose break and he wondered if this was the end of his struggle. His magnificent sword vanished from his hand and he felt the ring once again upon his finger.

"_What will happen to my friends when I'm gone?"_ he wondered as he lay on the ground, spitting blood and a tooth onto the cold stone floor. _"I don't want to let them down, but I'm so tired. Tom will come back and kill them all. I'm so sorry. No one will be able to stop him. It's all my fault. I'm going to die alone down here. I don't want to die, not alone. I want Uncle Sirius and Remus. I want my Dad. MUM!"_

Tears of pain and frustration poured down Harry's face as he looked up and saw Tom striding towards him, a malicious sneer on the shade's face. "Not so brave now, are you, boy? Crying like a little girl as you wait for your death like the foolish child you are. Did you really think you could defeat me? I am Lord Voldemort!"

Harry refused to speak his fears, but he was screaming in his mind. _"Please, God, whomever, I don't want to die. Help me, please? At least let me see my family one more time? Please?"_

For most people, family is defined by blood relations or married spouses, but not for Harry Potter. Alone with a madman in a cavern several hundred meters under a lake, his idea of family were all the people that he loved most. He thought of Sirius and Remus, his two beloved uncles that had raised him since he was a baby. Then his mind drifted to Tonks, his quirky but loveable cousin, who had been his first and best friend for as long as he could remember. He could not forget all of the Weasleys, the second family he had ever known and loved like his own. Of course there was also Mr. Knight, his friend and mentor and Grace, the mysterious centaur mare that had become like an aunt to him. However the one face that filled his thoughts the most was of a red-haired girl, Ginny. All the memories of his time with her and the letters they had shared the previous year filled Harry's heart with warmth and courage.

"_I may be about to die,"_ thought Harry as Tom walked closer, _"but I'm going to take this bastard with me."_

Rolling over, Harry reached up and pulled the large serpent's fang from his shoulder. The pain was beyond anything Harry had ever felt before, but he could not let himself feel it just yet. As he focused on his goal, he attributed and ignored the bright flash of light and roaring in his ears as being caused by the pain and poison. No, Harry had a plan now and he could only focus on that in the hopes that Tom was mortal enough to kill. Harry rationalized that if Tom was solid enough to hold the stolen wands, he must be solid enough to hit with the basilisk fang. A quick glance at the fang confirmed Harry's thought that it was still poisonous when a glob of thick green fluid dripped off the point. That was all Harry needed to see. With the last of his strength, Harry threw the fang at Tom's chest. As he watched the fang fly towards Tom's chest, Harry fell backwards into what felt like someone's arms.

For a moment Harry thought he had done it, but then the fang passed right though Tom and out his back. There was no sign that the shade had even noticed the fang's passing. Harry raged in his mind at the unfairness of it all. Still, there was nothing more he could do now. The poison was killing him and Tom would win. Harry could do nothing but accept it now and pray that someone, somewhere, would have the power to put Tom down once and for all. With that thought in his head, Harry closed his eyes and prepared to see his mother and father for the first time. Then he heard something, the voice of an angel.

"I got it!"

With the greatest effort of will that anyone had ever seen, Harry Potter opened his eyes, refusing to die and stared unbelievingly at the sight before him. Ginny Weasley, his Ginny, was standing behind Tom with a diary in one hand and a basilisk fang in the other. As he watched, the furious-looking redhead dropped the diary to the ground and using all her weight, plunged the fang down into it.

"NO!"

The scream of despair, shriek really, that came from Tom's mouth sounded like it came straight from the pits of Hell itself. As Harry watched, what seemed like gallons upon gallons of ink gushed from the now destroyed diary, Tom's form drained of color and finally faded completely from view. With his passing, the two wands fell to the ground. Harry watched in slow motion as one of the wands shattered like glass as it hit the stone floor while the other just bounced end over end before coming to rest.

"HARRY!"

The shouts came from all around him, but they sounded so far away. There were only two things that he could focus on right now. The first was a song that seemed to fill his ears with its comfort and support. The other was Ginny's face as she ran towards him and dropped to her knees at his side. Harry wanted to reach up and touch her cheek, but his leaden arms refused to move. He could only stare up into her crying eyes and think how lucky he was that she was here with him as he died.

"_She's so pretty," _he thought to himself as he looked at her. "I was going to marry you someday."

"You mean that, Harry?" asked the vision in front of him.

"_Imagination must be getting the best of me as I die,"_ Harry thought, though he did feel better now. "Of course I mean it, Ginny. I have never lied to you yet and I'm not going to start now."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Harry Potter," said the wildly grinning young girl.

"You're in for it now, Harry. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're not going to die, kiddo," said Sirius, who was holding Harry's head up.

"Sure thing, Sirius," laughed Harry. "My imagination must be trying to comfort me as I die. You can't be here since no one can open the door to the Chamber but me and Tom. So, this is a dream and I'm just about dead."

"Drama queen much?" asked Tonks from where she was checking on Colin and Gwen. "These two are in a bad way, Padfoot, especially the girl. We need to get them out of here and fast."

"Use an emergency portkey and get them to St. Mungo's!" ordered Sirius and Harry watched as Tonks pulled a silver chain from her robes. Taking only a moment to wrap it around the two unconscious students, she vanished a moment later with Colin and Gwen.

Suddenly Harry was not so sure this was a dream after all. The first sign was that he was no longer in as much pain as he had been a little while ago. Sure, he still felt the burns and cuts from Tom's curses, but the burning sensation from the basilisk venom was gone. Gone also was the agony in his shoulder. Now there was a soothing, slightly tingly, sensation where the basilisk had bitten him that reminded Harry of cold water dripping off an icicle. Looking up, he saw an amazing sight. Fawkes the phoenix was sitting on Sirius' shoulder singing as great pearly tears fell from his eyes and onto Harry's wound.

"Fawkes?" asked Harry, and the phoenix nodded its head as it continued to sing and cry.

"Yeah," confirmed Sirius. "Bloody bird showed up a few minutes ago and grabbed Tonks and me as we were trying to find you."

"Same here," confirmed Ginny. "Mum had just gotten the news you were missing when Fawkes showed up with Sirius and Tonks. Next thing I knew, we were here."

Stunned, Harry reached up and stroked the feathers of the crying phoenix, a pearlescent tear falling on his hand and immediately healing a scratch there. "How? Bloody basilisk got me. I should be dead now, shouldn't I?"

"Phoenix tears are capable of healing almost any wound or illness, Harry," answered Sirius. "Which I promise you'll need after I get you out of here. What the hell were you thinking coming down here by yourself? No Quidditch for you this summer."

"And that doesn't even begun to describe what I'm going to do to you," growled Ginny. "And just think of what Hermione, Ron, and Neville are going to do to you when they find out you left them behind."

Harry could not help but groan at the thought as he looked up at the phoenix and said, "You couldn't just let me die, could you?"

Much to the amusement of Sirius and Ginny, Fawkes just shook his head as the last of his tears fell on Harry's wounds. Harry could only imagine that the magical bird was telling him that he was not going to get quite that lucky. When the phoenix offered Harry and the others its long tail feathers, they grabbed hold and were suddenly surrounded by the brightest golden light they could imagine. There was a sensation of warmth and movement before they suddenly found themselves lying on the floor of the Headmaster's office.

"Fawkes?" asked the stunned looking Headmaster. "Mr. Potter? Miss Weasley? Sirius? What is the meaning of this?"

"I think the better question would be, were they successful?" asked Mr. Knight as he stepped into the room.

"I did it," confirmed Harry, standing up with considerable help from Sirius. "At least I almost did it. Ginny is the one that managed to destroy the diary."

Harry watched as Ginny pulled the still dripping diary from her robes, throwing it down on the floor in front of them. Dumbledore, the twinkle absent from his eyes, looked pale and afraid at the sight of the destroyed diary. Harry noticed that the ever present crystal was clenched tightly in the old man's hand and he wished he could get it away from the Headmaster. Try as he might though, Harry could see no way of doing it right then that would not cause Dumbledore to attack him.

"_If only I could get him to the Chapel, I might be able to get it away from him,"_ thought Harry. _"Thing is, I don't think he would let it go that easily even then."_

"Someone explain to me what's going on!" demanded Dumbledore, still looking rather pale. "If this is just some sort of game, I will not tolerate it. I have two missing students that right this moment could be dead or dying!"

Sirius looked at the Headmaster with an expression that conveyed both contempt and pity all at once. "Oh, we've saved your two students, Albus. They're at St. Mungo's as we speak. Harry here managed to rescue them when you couldn't."

"No," stammered Dumbledore. "Why would you take them there? They must be brought back here immediately! If their parents find out about…"

"Wait a minute!" shouted Harry, turning to look at Dumbledore. "I thought you had already told their parents what was going on. Isn't that what you said, Mr. Knight?"

"Yes, Harry," confirmed Mr. Knight. "I saw them up here earlier, before you went down to the chamber."

"Then where are they now?" asked Ginny.

Dumbledore looked pale as everyone turned to him for an answer. The twinkle was gone from his eyes as he sat behind his desk and played with the crystal. Harry watched as the old man seemed to shrink in on himself. He still looked calm, although it was almost as if he was feeling two completely different emotions at once, contempt and shame.

"What did you do, Albus?" demanded Sirius, slowing walking towards the Headmaster.

Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Magical forces of Light, cringed and tried to sit back even further in his chair before answering. "I didn't think there was any chance of finding their children, so I modified their memories."

"How?" roared Mr. Knight. "What do they remember?"

Dumbledore seemed to be trying to slip right through the solid back of his chair as he answered. "They think their children attended a prestigious Muggle boarding school."

"And?" asked Harry, glaring at the old man.

"They believe that their children died in a horrible car crash," answered Dumbledore as if he had just announced the children were on holiday.

"You manipulative old bastard," growled Sirius. "Rather than take responsibility for your mistakes, you just destroyed two families before you even knew the outcome!"

"Can you undo it?" asked Harry, hoping that his two friends had not just become orphans.

Dumbledore nodded his head and there was a collective sigh of relief. "I placed a key in their minds. They won't act upon the information until I contact them again. Depending on what I say, they will either prepare to bury the children or forget about the changes altogether."

"Then I think you had best correct your mistake and get those people to St. Mungo's immediately to see their children," commanded Mr. Knight.

"You're as bad as Voldemort," spat Harry, glaring at the Headmaster. "Rather than tell their parents that they were in danger, you just wrote off Colin and Gwen as if they didn't mean a thing!"

"The children were never in any danger," protested Dumbledore, his face going pale again.

"That's not what you just said," argued Sirius. "You just said they might be dead or dying, but now you claim they were never in any danger. Which is it, old man? You can't have it both ways. They are either safe or they are in danger. God knows you didn't do anything to save them!"

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" asked Ginny, now standing with Harry's arm around her shoulders. "He would have never told their parents the truth anyway."

"Ginny is right," agreed Mr. Knight. "You would have swept it all under the rug. But you can't do that now, can you? With the children at St. Mungo's, their parents will be notified. Whether you like it or not, people are going to find out what happened here tonight and they are going to want answers."

"I'll pay for the children's medical care," whispered a defeated looking Dumbledore.

Suddenly the door to the Headmaster's office opened to admit Tonks. "They're going to want more than that, I think."

Harry felt a sense of cold dread as he looked at his cousin. The fact that her features and hair had returned to their natural shape and color was not a good sign. Only the worst of events could force her to revert to her natural form around anyone other than friends and family. Given where she had just come from, Harry feared the absolute worst had come to pass.

"What do you mean?" demanded Ginny. "What's wrong with Colin and Gwen?"

"Their parents are with them at St. Mungo's as we speak," answered Tonks. "Of course, they are more than a little confused, what with the way their minds are muddled up right now. I went and got them myself. Colin's father is a right mess. He lost his wife after the younger of his boys was born, so the thought of losing his oldest boy has hit him pretty hard. Thankfully the Healers say that Colin will be back up on his feet in no time. He wasn't exposed to the diary long enough for it to do anything too permanent."

"What about Gwen?" asked Ginny, not liking the way Tonks refused to look at her.

Tonks took a deep shuddering breath before looking up at the others, tears streaming down her cheeks. "She's a mess, Ginny. She has the worst case of magical exhaustion that the healers have ever seen."

"That's okay though, right?" asked Harry. "I mean she'll recover eventually, won't she?"

Several things happened at once and Harry realized at that moment exactly what it felt like to see a moment freeze in time. Time had not truly stopped, but it seemed as if he was suddenly aware of everything going on around him. He watched Mr. Knight collapse into a well-stuffed armchair and cover his face with his hands. Sirius, for his part, just seemed to stare at Tonks as his hands clenched into white knuckled fists. Then there was Dumbledore who covered his face with his hands, looking older than Harry had ever seen him before. All of this was absorbed by Harry as he waited for the answer to his question.

"It might be kinder if she doesn't," Tonks answered, sliding down the wall to the floor by the Headmaster's door. "The Healer I spoke with said it was as if Gwen's mind just wasn't there anymore. She's a blank slate, Harry. Whatever that diary did to her, it was bad. I didn't give the Healers the full details, but they aren't stupid. They said it looked almost like a Dementor attack."

"In a way it was," Mr. Knight added. "That's what Tom's blasted diary was designed to do, feed upon the soul of an innocent and use the power it gained to create a new body for Tom."

"What!" screeched Ginny. "You mean to tell me that thing was eating my soul?"

"Not now, Ginny," Harry soothed, giving Ginny's small shoulder a tight squeeze. "We'll figure that out after Nym tells us what they can do for Gwen."

"Nothing," replied Tonks, wiping tears from her eyes. "They can't do anything for her, Harry. There's nothing there to work with."

"There has to be something," argued Harry.

"No, Harry," said Sirius. "There is no cure for something like this."

Harry listened, but he did not believe. How in a world full of magic could something like this be possible? They could turn hedgehogs into pincushions in their first year, but they could not help one sick young girl. How would anyone ever be able to explain this to her parents, to her friends? Was this all the Magical world was good for, creating killers and letting innocent children die?

"Why her?" asked Ginny, her face now buried in Harry's chest as she cried for her friend. "Why not me? I had that disgusting thing longer than she did, so why did it do that to her and not me?"

"It would have, in the end," answered Dumbledore, much to everyone's surprise. "The diary was weak when you first got it. Over time, it absorbed more of your, let's call it, your life-force, and as it did, it was able to speed up the process and assume more control over you."

"Dumbledore is right," agreed Mr. Knight. "The more of your life-force that it absorbed, the more power it had to take it faster. Like the Hogwarts Express, the more fuel it received, the faster it could move. Ginny started the process while others were used to continue it. Finally, when it was powerful enough, the diary started sucking up the very last of her life-force in order to create a new body for itself."

"But I gave her that bloody thing," wailed Ginny, clinging as tightly as she could to Harry. "The day Harry made me go to see Madame Pomfrey Tom made me give it to her! I remember doing it! I even showed her how to write in it and told her she should keep it secret! This is entirely my fault!"

"No it's not, Gin," Harry said, gently stroking her hair. "It was the diary controlling you and it can't do that anymore. It's gone and its power over you is as well. That's why you can talk about this now, Gin, isn't it, Sirius?"

Sirius nodded, kneeling down and picking up the destroyed diary from where it lay. "With the power of the diary gone, the Compulsion on Ginny is gone as well."

"As it is, the diary has probably been using Gwen to attack you ever since it was given to her," Tonks added.

"The drain on her magic must have been horrendous," agreed Sirius. "Her magical exhaustion would have just made it easier for the diary to drain away what it needed from her."

"So, attacking me was just a way of killing two birds with one stone?" asked Harry. "He possibly gets rid of me and he gets his body back that much quicker."

"Exactly," agreed Mr. Knight.

A knock on the door drew everyone's attention, and almost seeming to give up, the Headmaster called for the unknown visitor to enter. Harry was a little surprised by the sight of Professors Lockhart and Flamel, but the sight of his three friends who came in behind the professors immediately put a smile on his face. Ginny had been right. They were not happy with him for leaving them behind, but after a very brief scolding from Hermione and Neville, all was right with the world again.

"I promise," Harry said solemnly as Hermione hugged him for the tenth time, "I'll never run off and leave you guys behind again. I learned my lesson down there. I can't do this stuff on my own. I need my friends and family by my side if I'm going to make it."

"You better believe it, mate," grunted Ron, playfully hitting Harry on the right shoulder while Neville hit him on the left.

"And if you even think about leaving us behind again," added Neville, "I'll personally track you down and set Ginny loose on you."

"Hey!" protested Ginny, though she had yet to let Harry go. "I'm not that bad!"

"Says the girl that destroyed a powerful Dark magic artifact with a basilisk fang that she caught in midair," supplied Harry, causing Ginny to blush and bury her head in his chest again.

Through all of this, Lockhart and Flamel were busy talking with Mr. Knight. Harry watched their conversation out of the corner of his eye, as did Dumbledore, though for different reasons. Harry's hope was that the powerful former King and the nearly immortal potions mistress could come up with a cure for Gwen. Dumbledore's reasons were not as altruistic. The Headmaster was just trying to figure out how best to wrestle control back from Mr. Knight and how to bury the news that several students had been attacked while he was in charge. When the three figures broke apart, he tried to say something, but the look on Lockhart's face stopped Albus cold.

"I would like to apologize to you all," began Lockhart. "I've misled you this entire year in the hopes of keeping Miss Weasley safe. Unfortunately, in doing so, I failed to keep those around her safe."

Reaching inside his almost blindingly blue robes, Lockhart pulled out a silver medallion with a large shining crystal in the center of it. "I used this to hide amongst you all this year while the real Gilderoy Lockhart sits in a French prison for attempting to erase the memories of a twelve year old witch that used accidental magic to defeat a succubus. Seems he wanted to take credit for her victory, but he didn't know her father was captain of the local Aurors."

"Served the fraud right for what he tried to do to that poor little girl," added Perenelle.

"Then who are you really?" asked Harry, watching as everyone else nodded that they also were curious.

Everyone flinched as the man pretending to be Lockhart suddenly threw the medallion as hard as he could at the Headmaster's fireplace. As the medallion was engulfed in flames, there was a bright flash of light, which caused everyone to shield their eyes. Once they could see again, they were all amazed at the sight before them. Standing where the image of Lockhart had been just a moment before was someone that should have been dead. Dressed in long flowing black robes and having his long black hair tied back stood…

"SNAPE!" shouted everyone almost at once.

"How the hell are you not dead yet, ya greasy haired git?" asked Sirius, though it was obvious from the smile on his face that he was happy to see his former rival alive.

"Sod off, Black," replied Severus, but he also had a slight smile on his face.

What followed were several hours of explanations regarding the current state of events. It was a rather disgruntled Albus Dumbledore that was finally escorted from his own office after he attempted to take over the conversation one too many times. As he left, he was strongly encouraged by Mr. Knight to make his way to St. Mungo's to correct his mistake, concerning Colin's and Gwen's parents. Around midnight, Severus and Perenelle left to go check on Colin and Gwen, leaving the others to continue their conversation. It was early in the morning, after a long night spent talking amongst friends, when the Headmaster's office door flew open to reveal the figure of a very irate Lucius Malfoy.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the elder Malfoy. "I just returned from France and discovered that my son has been attacked by Potter! I want that little shit expelled!"

"Piss off, Lucky," growled Sirius. "Your boy was attacking another student when Harry stopped him. If you want Harry out, you'll have to accept the fact that Draco will be spending a long time in Azkaban. So, take your pick."

Harry was the first to notice it. Dobby the house elf was standing just slightly behind Malfoy senior and was busy pointing to the diary on the floor and then to his master. That's all it took for Harry to figure it out. He felt his anger explode in his chest again as he realized that Lucius Malfoy had been the one to plant the diary on Ginny. Ultimately, Lucius was responsible for everything that had happened to him and to his friends.

"You did this," hissed Harry. "You gave that diary to Ginny."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Potter," sneered the older man. "And even if I did, what proof do you have?"

"What makes you think we need proof, Lucky?" asked Sirius, cracking his knuckles. "You remember who I work for, so you must know that if I really wanted you gone, you would be."

"Yawn," said Lucius with an exaggerated motion. "You know your threats are as empty as your bank account, Black. If you could touch me, you would have already tried."

"Lucky, your ignorance of what's really going on in the world is only dwarfed by your total lack of anything even remotely resembling wit and culture," replied Sirius with a dismissing tone.

"Not to mention he's got more money in his wallet than you probably do in your vault at Gringotts," added Tonks.

"We don't brag, Nymphadora," scolded Sirius, causing Tonks to hang her head sheepishly.

"Sorry," muttered Tonks.

"Clothes," whispered Ginny in Harry's ear as the others talked.

"What?" Harry whispered back.

"Free Dobby," urged Ginny.

Harry nodded as he stepped away from Ginny and pulled his jumper off. Before Lucius knew what was going on, Harry threw the jumper at his head, causing Lucius to reach for his wand. Sirius saw this and jumped forward, knocking the elder Malfoy's wand from his hand. Snarling, Malfoy pulled the jumper from his head and threw it behind him, which was exactly what Harry had hoped for. Dobby, having been trained for years to clean up after his master, reached out and grabbed the jumper before it hit the ground.

"Master has given Dobby clothes," shouted the little elf as he started dancing around, holding the jumper lovingly in his hands.

"Potter!" screamed Lucius, lunging for Harry only to be stopped by Mr. Knight. "You cost me my servant, you little bastard!"

Harry walked over to look Lucius in the face and sneered as he said, "Oh you shouldn't be worrying about Dobby. You should be worrying about yourself, because if I ever find solid evidence that you were responsible for this shite, I'll bury you."

"Dream on, Potter," scoffed the older man. "You'll end up just like your parents."

"Loved and surrounded by friends?" asked Harry, innocently. "I can only hope."

"Hmph!" snorted Malfoy, breaking loose from his captors and turning towards the door. "We'll see, Potter. Just hope we don't meet again."

With that, the elder Malfoy stepped out the door. Dobby proceeded to thank Harry for setting him free before he left. Eventually everyone made their way back to their homes, leaving Harry and his friends to return to their common room. It was a long silent walk as the five friends thought about the fates of Colin and Gwen, but that was a problem for another day. Right now they needed sleep. Their adventures were over for now, but Harry dreaded what might come next in their ongoing battle against Voldemort.

Only time could tell.

* * *

**AN:**

Well, it's over. Finally.

This story ended up being a lot harder to write than you might think. Mostly that's because it had to walk the line between canon and alternate universe. I have always intended the second story of this series to be the jumping off point for the real changes. What I did not expect was how much it would frustrate me that I couldn't change more. At least it's over now.

I've already begun work on the third story and two others. I won't be posting any of them until they are completed. No more of this post and wait stuff. When I post this next time you will know that you are getting all of that story in a matter of days rather than months or years. You deserve that.

What you also deserve is to see exactly what Harry wrote in his letter to Ginny. You know, before Dobby mucked it up. So, as you are such good readers, what follows is the real letter to Ginny. Compare what's here to what Dobby wrote and you will see that every word in his letter is in this letter, in the correct order. This letter took longer to write than the rest of the chapter.

Anyway, leave me a review and enjoy Harry's letter.

For now,

Chris

**Harry's ****Original Letter**

Ginny,

How are you feeling? I was so worried when I heard you were feeling sick. Remus said you could possibly come back before my party, but your mom thought it best if you leave with her until you felt better. I hope when you do that I can maybe talk to you about how much I need you. I know it sounds silly, but you are the most understanding person I know. You believe me, don't you? I can't believe I was thinking of running away until you talked me out of it. I just don't know what I would do without you, but I do know that you mean the world to me for it.

It wasn't the same after you left. Fred and George tried to prank Grace, but she caught them in the act. That just proves she is sharper than they think and that she is ready to take them on any time she feels like it. I mean you really don't want to see her made if you care about your health. As for me, I'm staying on her good side as much as possible and you would too if you knew what was good for you. However, it was really funny to hear them say she was better at pranking than them. I mean you just do not know how funny it was as she was forcing them to say it.

Tonks was supposed to stay the rest of the summer, or at least until right after my birthday party, but she had to return to her Auror classes. I guess they have some special training about dealing with Muggles this summer and she couldn't get out of it. She told me to tell you good bye, and that she hopes you have a really good birthday. It's just hard to see her so depressed after she 's been acting so cheerful around Remus. I just want to scream at them and me them like each other sometimes, but that's not my job, so I just have to stay out of it. Remus just thinks of her as a friend because she's Sirius' cousin, but I'm betting he really knows how she feels, or I'm not famous.

I think Hedwig missed carrying letters to you every day. She's been sitting on my shoulder as I write this. So, don't be surprised if she waits around for you to reply right away, whether you want to or not. I sometimes think she likes you more than she likes me. Come to think of it, I'm almost positive she does. I don't think she would even come to my birthday party if you weren't there, so you had better get better and be there so I can see my own owl again. I don't want you both to miss it, but for now I've got to go.

I can't wait to see you again.

Love,

Harry


End file.
